French prosecutors have closed a case filed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against Apple subsidiaries regarding the alleged use of conflict minerals in their supply chain. The Paris prosecutor’s office determined that the allegations of money laundering and deceptive business practices were “not sufficiently well-founded” and closed the case on February 18.
Congo filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium in December. Apple disputed the allegations and stated that it had instructed suppliers not to use the minerals in question from Congo or Rwanda.
The Paris prosecutor’s office says Congo should contact a different office “with jurisdiction over war crimes.” Congo’s lawyers described the decision as a “very partial dismissal” and intend to challenge it.
Congo is a big source of 3T minerals (tin, tantalum, and tungsten) used in computers and mobile phones. Some artisanal mines in the region are controlled by armed groups involved in various crimes, including massacres, mass rapes, and looting. The eastern mining regions of Congo have been affected by conflicts between armed groups, some supported by neighboring Rwanda and the Congolese military since the 1990s.
In France, the case was closed by prosecutors on February 18. In Belgium, an investigating magistrate was appointed in response to the complaint, according to a lawyer for Congo in January.
The lawyers representing Congo, William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth, emphasized the “extreme seriousness of the facts denounced” and expressed their intention to challenge the decision.
As of the report’s publication, neither the prosecutor’s office nor Apple had immediately responded to requests for comment on the matter.
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