In a major development reshaping the global critical minerals landscape, KoBold Metals—a California-based mining company backed by tech titans Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates—has secured a groundbreaking agreement with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The deal grants KoBold the strategic upper hand in acquiring the highly contested Manono lithium deposit, a site considered one of the largest untapped lithium reserves in the world.
The agreement, signed Thursday and made public on Friday, positions KoBold as the DRC’s preferred partner in resolving long-standing disputes around Manono and launching a large-scale exploration effort for critical minerals—elements essential to powering electric vehicles and clean energy technologies.
The Manono deposit has been the center of a fierce dispute. Australian firm AVZ Minerals, which once held the development permit, has been entangled in a prolonged legal battle after the DRC government revoked its rights in 2023, citing slow progress. The concession was then reassigned to a subsidiary of Zijin Mining, a Chinese company, sparking arbitration efforts by AVZ in international courts.
Now, KoBold is stepping in to reset the clock.
The agreement obligates KoBold to apply for exploration licenses covering over 1,600 square kilometers before July 31st. At the same time, the Congolese government has pledged to appoint a special envoy to facilitate KoBold’s acquisition of the Manono site and mediate outstanding disputes.
According to the signed deal, KoBold Metals will deploy advanced artificial intelligence tools to accelerate the discovery of vital minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and lithium. The company claims its cutting-edge technology can dramatically improve the efficiency and scale of resource exploration.
President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC confirmed the signing via social media, signaling the administration’s support for what could be one of the most significant foreign direct investment moves in the country’s mining sector this year.
This agreement also aligns with recent geopolitical efforts to stabilize the region and shift global supply chains. The announcement follows a June agreement brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump, aimed at ending violence in the mineral-rich east of Congo in exchange for increased Western investment. The U.S.-led Lobito Corridor initiative, which seeks to counterbalance China’s dominance in critical minerals, is expected to benefit from this strategic alliance.
As part of its commitment, KoBold will also digitize geological records at the Royal Museum of Central Africa and offer free public access to historical geoscientific data via the DRC’s National Geological Service, supporting both transparency and research.
While AVZ Minerals has not yet commented on the deal, the race for Manono—and control over the future of green energy minerals—is clearly entering a new phase.
We will continue to monitor this story as it unfolds.
Reporting by Ehud Jones.
