KINSHASA (Reuters) -Democratic Republic of Congo is pushing Apple Inc for more information about its supply chain over concerns it may be tainted with conflict minerals sourced from the country, international lawyers engaged by Congo said on Thursday.
Congo, particularly its eastern region, has been plagued by violence since the 1990s, killing millions as struggles over national identity, ethnicity, and resources saw neighboring countries invade and a myriad of armed groups spring up. Conflict has arisen over the control of illicit trade in tin and gold as well as in coltan and tantalum – widely used in cell phones and computers – all mined in Congo before being smuggled out through neighboring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.
Johnny Thompson is a senior reporter for Generator Research in Los Angeles, reporting on technology, business, finances, and more. He previously worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
