Lawyers representing the DR Congo have written to Apple CEO Tim Cook demanding answers on the sourcing of minerals used to manufacture the company’s products. The lawyers shared concerns that Apple’s supply chain may be tainted by blood minerals — those obtained through unethical mining practices — from the DRC. Amsterdam & Partners said it was appointed to represent DRC in litigation related to “individuals and companies involved in the chain of extraction, supply and commercialization of natural resources and minerals pillaged from the DRC.” The group of lawyers also wrote to Apple subsidiaries in France, demanding a response within three weeks. “Year after year, Apple has sold technology made with minerals sourced from a region whose population is being devastated by grave violations of human rights,” said Amsterdam. He added that Apple’s claim that it verifies the origins of minerals used in the manufacture of its products “do not appear to be based on concrete, verifiable evidence.”
SOURCE: SEMAFOR