An international group of lawyers on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo appealed to Apple CEO Tim Cook over concerns that the company may use “blood” minerals from the region for its products.“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. Although Apple has affirmed that it verifies the origins of minerals it uses to manufacture its products, those claims do not appear to be based on concrete, verifiable evidence. The world’s eyes are wide shut: Rwanda’s production of key 3T minerals is near zero, and yet big tech companies say their minerals are sourced in Rwanda,” said Robert Amsterdam.

3T minerals mined in Congo include tin, tungsten and tantalum, which are important raw materials for electronic components. These materials are used in particular for printed circuit boards in iPhones.