Kinshasa is suing Apple in France and Belgium for "complicity" in the use of rare minerals pillaged by armed groups to build their products. Apple denies the accusations and guarantees traceability, but the case highlights the fragile balance of power in Silicon Valley's global supply chains.

Apple on Tuesday said it strongly disputes allegations that it uses conflict minerals in its products and told suppliers earlier this year to stop purchasing those minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

The Democratic Republic of Congo filed lawsuits against Apple Inc. in France and Belgium accusing the company of using minerals “pillaged” from the central African nation in its products.Congo’s lawyers have initiated criminal complaints against the US tech giant’s subsidiaries in the two European countries “over the contamination of Apple’s supply chain” with “blood minerals,