US tech giant Apple says it has suspended the purchase of minerals whose source can be traced to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a criminal complaint filed against its subsidiaries in Europe by the central African country. Lawyers representing the DRC recently accused Apple’s subsidiaries in Belgium and France of using conflict minerals in their supply chains and fuelling conflict. Apple has denied the allegations. In a statement issued by Apple, they disputed the claim that they use conflict minerals in their supply chains. The US tech company, however, says it has told its suppliers not to provide them with minerals sourced from the DRC and Rwanda.

Minerals from DRC mines, including tungsten, tin and tantalum (often referred to as the 3Ts), have been illegally smuggled through Rwanda for several years, and eventually exported to tech companies such as Apple. But after the DRC filed criminal charges against Apple over the use of conflict minerals, there is renewed hope that this illegal mining could be brought to an end.

Alex Kopp, senior campaigner on the NGO Global Witness's transition minerals team, the case signals positive change. He told RFI that there has been some progress, at least in terms of public awareness and consensus building. The United States, France and Belgium say they have put regulations on conflict minerals in place, and the European Union passed a regulation in May 2017 to stop conflict minerals and metals from being exported to the EU, and to prevent EU smelters and refiners from using them.