Apple sued by Democratic Republic of Congo for illegal mining

Why would Apple source minerals illegally from the DRC?

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most resource-rich countries on Earth. Beneath its rich, arable soils sit huge deposits of precious minerals ­– including diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, coltan, uranium, tin, tantalum, tungsten, and oil.

In theory, this should make it one of the richest countries in the world. Unfortunately, a history of exploitation under decades of Belgian colonial rule has paved the way for long-term political instability.

Since the 1990s, various armed groups have fought for power over the region, with mining operations often the central driving force of the conflict. Sadly, this has made the DRC the world’s most resource-rich, but dangerous countries.

Several of the DRC’s abundant minerals – tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3T minerals) – are critical components in manufacturing electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Meanwhile, cobalt is a coveted material used to make rechargeable batteries for electric cars.

Half of the world’s current cobalt reserves lie in the DRC, with market specialist Darton Commodities reported that the DRC produced 72 percent of the world’s cobalt last year. Much of this comes from ‘artisanal’ or illegal mines.

Illegal mines make huge profit

According to investigations by Al Jazeera, a single illegal mine can employ up to 20,000 people who work in shifts of 5,000 at a time. Such mining operations are long-term projects, many of which go against regulation laws in the DRC.

UN expert reports estimate that M23 rebels generate approximately $300,000 in monthly revenue through illegal taxes imposed on local mining activities. This kind of illegal activity is only expected to rise in line with the global demand for cobalt, which is projected to quadruple by 2030.

‘As conflict in the region escalated earlier this year, we notified our suppliers that their smelters and refiners must suspend sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold from the DRC and Rwanda,’ Apple spokespersons said on Tuesday.

‘We took this action because we were concerned it was no longer possible for independent auditors or industry certification mechanisms to perform the due diligence required to meet our high standards.’

In attempts to distance itself further from the allegations, Apple has stressed that the majority of the minerals in question in its phones and computers are largely recycled, though full circularity – at least in terms of cobalt – won’t be achieved until next year.