DR Congo plans to file lawsuit against Apple

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Democratic Republic of the Congo plans to file a lawsuit against Apple in France and the United States over the use of illegally mined minerals in its products, Azernews reports.

On April 25, the DRC accused Apple of buying minerals that are smuggled from the unstable east of the country to neighboring Rwanda, from where they are resold abroad. French lawyers hired by Kinshasa have sent an official notice to Apple, warning the company that it could face legal action if illegal mining continues. It calls Rwanda "the main actor in the illegal exploitation of minerals in the DRC." Kigali called the DRC's accusations against Apple baseless.

William Bourdon, one of the lawyers hired by the DRC, told AFP that a company representative responded to the notification by expressing contempt, cynicism and arrogance. According to the agency, the lawyers went on a working trip to Kinshasa, where they met with President Felix Chisekedi.