Rwanda rebuffs ‘baseless allegations’ it ‘launders’ conflict minerals from DRC used in Apple products

Rwanda has hit back at the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for making “baseless allegations” against Apple after Kinshasa earlier accused the tech giant of using illegally exported materials from the war-torn east of the West African country in its products.

Lawyers representing the DRC government alleged last week that Apple was purchasing minerals smuggled from the east into neighboring Rwanda, where they are laundered and “integrated into the global supply chain.” In a letter sent to Apple chief executive Tim Cook, France- and US-based lawyers for the DRC challenged the global tech giant’s assertions that it carefully verifies the origins of materials in its devices, saying that Apple’s iPhones, Mac computers and other accessories are “tainted by the blood of the Congolese people”.

The Rwandan government dismissed the claims as “a rehashing of baseless allegations and conjecture, attempting to leverage media interest in one of the world’s biggest companies.” According to the government’s spokeswoman, “this is just the latest stunt by the government of the DRC who are constantly seeking to deflect attention onto Rwanda with false accusations.” The DRC’s mineral-rich east has been wracked by violence since the 1990s, with tensions escalating in late 2021 following the resurgence of the M23 militia. Rwanda has been accused by the DRC, Western countries and UN experts of supporting the M23, a claim that Kigali denies.