Tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold: Apple's supply chain allegedly contaminated
According to the Democratic Republic of Congo, raw materials sourced by Apple and other manufacturers from Rwanda come from the conflict zone in eastern Congo.
(Bild: Sukrita Rungroj/Shutterstock.com)
In a recently published report, the Democratic Republic of Congo assumes that the supply chains of Apple and other manufacturers are contaminated with conflict minerals. According to the report published by a US law firm, raw materials nominally sourced from Rwanda actually originate from the disputed territory in eastern Congo. Apple and other companies would import large quantities of tin, tungsten and tantalum from Rwanda, although the country itself produces very little of it. Gold is also allegedly being stolen from the Congo in this way.
Criticism not only of Apple
The allegations are being made by a US law firm on behalf of the Congo. Apple has "sold technology year after year that was manufactured with minerals from a region whose population suffers from serious human rights violations", according to a statement. Although the US company claims to verify the origin of the raw materials, this "does not appear to be based on concrete, verifiable evidence". International observations have shown that there is rampant money laundering and illegal trade in raw materials from the conflict zone in eastern Congo. Those responsible on the ground are reliant on some of the world's largest IT manufacturers. Apple has been given three weeks to respond to the allegations.
Apple has assured Bloomberg that no supplier of tin, tungsten, tantalum or gold in the region finances or otherwise supports armed groups. Although the law firm only mentions the iPhone company by name in the statement, it adds in the report published at the same time that Intel, Sony and Motorola have also been informed that conflict minerals from eastern Congo are suspected in their supply chains. Fighting has been going on in the resource-rich region for decades, and violence has recently increased again. According to aid organizations, several million people have fled from and within the region.
(mho)