In March 2017 Apple was accused of supporting slave and child labor in the Republic of Congo.  Then in November 2017, Amnesty International claimed that Apple led the way in tracing Cobalt Mines using Child Labor.

Today Reuters is reporting that International lawyers representing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said that they had new evidence gathered from whistleblowers, which deepened concerns that Apple could be sourcing minerals from conflict areas in eastern Congo.

In a statement, the lawyers urged Apple to answer questions about its supply chain in the country, and said they were evaluating legal options.

Congo's lawyers notified Apple CEO Tim Cook on April 22 of a series of concerns about its supply chain, and also wrote to Apple subsidiaries in France, demanding answers within three weeks. The Amsterdam & Partners LLP law firm has been investigating allegations that minerals mined in Congo by several companies and armed groups are being smuggled out through Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

The firm said in a statement on Wednesday that, four weeks later, "the tech giant has remained silent and neither answered nor even acknowledged receipt of the questions."

One of the lawyers, Robert Amsterdam, said the firm has since received new evidence from whistleblowers.

"It is more urgent than ever that Apple provide real answers to the very serious questions we have raised," he said in the statement.

Apple has said in the past that it does not directly buy, procure or source primary minerals, and it has been auditing its suppliers for several years and publishing its findings.

"We found no reasonable basis for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023 directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country," the Apple report said. Reuters