Congo’s conflict mineral lands the world’s largest tech company in legal trouble

The tech giant Apple is currently defending against a lawsuit alleging the use of minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are purportedly linked to conflict and human rights violations.

• Apple faces allegations of using minerals sourced from conflict areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• The company strongly denies the claims, asserting adherence to ethical sourcing practices.
• Apple highlights its transition to recycled cobalt to meet sustainability objectives.
• An advocacy group filed the lawsuit, citing breaches involving human rights in the supply chain.

An advocacy group in the United States has filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company is using conflict-linked cobalt from Congo, which Apple has denied.

The tech company, which refuted the claim, noted that it had halted the use of any such materials from the DRC and Rwanda.

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They noted that this has been the case for a while, as conflict in the region between Congo forces and M23 rebels escalated.

Apple continues to “strongly dispute” the allegations that it profits from forced labor and illegal mining operations in Africa, labelling them as “baseless.”

As seen on Reuters, Apple disclosed that its cobalt supply comes from recycled sources, which aligns with the company’s sustainability goals.

Apple’s Supplier Code of Conduct enforces “the industry’s strongest sourcing standards,” and pledges continued transparency in public reporting, an Apple spokesman stated.

In a complaint filed on Tuesday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, IRAdvocates, a Washington-based nonprofit that intends to use litigation to stop breaches of human rights, argued that Apple’s supply chain still includes cobalt, tin, tantalum, and tungsten that are linked to armed groups in the Congo and Rwanda, as well as child and forced labor.

However, Apple has consistently refuted these claims, revealing that 76% of the cobalt in its devices was recycled in 2024.

Chinese smelters, Ningxia Orient, Jiujiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre, have been accused in the complaint of processing columbite-tantalite metallic ore, or coltan, which U.N. and Global Witness investigators claim was smuggled through Rwanda after armed groups seized mines in eastern Congo.

Apple’s supply chain is connected to the material in the case.

M23 and Congo conflict

In January, M23 rebels claimed to have occupied Goma, eastern Congo’s biggest city, after a quick offensive that prompted thousands to leave and stoked worries of a larger regional conflict.

M23’s conflict in the eastern DRC cities of Goma and Bukavu sparked fears of a larger regional war.

The DRC, together with the US and the United Nations, accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Rwanda has subsequently denied.

Since then, Qatar and the United States have shown an interest in resolving the situation through mediation.

The conflict by the M23 in the eastern DRC towns of Goma and Bukavu sparked concerns of a broader regional war.

The DRC, alongside the United States and the United Nations, had accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, which Rwanda has since disputed.

In October, a report showed that since seizing the Twangiza gold mine in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May, rebels have plundered at least 500kg of gold bullion, worth around $70 million.