US corporate interests must not be allowed to invalidate the Conflict Minerals Rule, which requires companies to investigate and disclose whether their products contain certain minerals that help fund armed groups in mineral-rich countries in Africa, said Amnesty International...The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear a challenge by three industry groups against the rule...Amnesty International joined the lawsuit to support the rule. “This legal challenge to the Conflict Minerals Rule is nothing but a crass effort by industry groups to put profits ahead of principles,” said...Amnesty International USA. “The rule was required by Congress to save lives and stop human rights abuses by curbing the flow of funding to armed groups operating with impunity in the areas these minerals are mined...”As well as a longstanding armed conflict in eastern DRC...fresh armed conflicts have recently broken out in its mineral rich neighbours Central African Republic and South Sudan.