The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government has filed a criminal case against Apple and its subsidiaries in France and Belgium over alleged illegal use of minerals.
The government accused the company of illegally using what it described as “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
The allegations against Apple reportedly include war crimes, laundering, forgery, and deception.
Lawyers for the Congolese government said Apple has bought contraband supplies from the conflict-ravaged eastern DRC and Rwanda.
Both are zones in which the materials are alleged to be mined illegally.
The DRC government said the minerals were then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in the company’s devices.
United Nations experts and human rights groups say some of the artisanal mines are run by armed groups involved in massacres of civilians, mass rapes, looting, and other crimes.
Kinshasa says this makes Apple complicit in crimes taking place in the east of the country.
Meanwhile, the tech giant on Tuesday said it strongly disputes allegations that it uses conflict minerals in its products and told suppliers earlier this year to stop purchasing those minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
In a statement to Reuters, Apple said it told its suppliers their smelters and refiners must stop buying tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from the two countries as conflict in the region has escalated.
Apple’s statement came in response to a criminal complaint filed earlier in the day against the company in France and Belgium, where the Congolese government alleged Apple uses conflict minerals laundered through international supply chains.
However, the DRC’s lawyers allege Apple units in the two countries deploy deceptive commercial practices to persuade consumers that its supply chains are above board.
Rwanda has also dismissed the allegations against the tech giant as unfounded.
The mineral-rich eastern DRC has been racked by violence between rebel groups and the Congolese army since the 1990s.
