Point Piper Dealer

@MaxNdayizeye Kobold and US plan was to buy AVZ and end all legal cases! If you want a clear title after making avz suspend ICSID for 6mths…..price goes up a lot! But can almost guarantee CATL buy avz now that the US are fumbling around like fools.

The Manono Lithium Saga — A Cautionary Tale for U.S. Critical Minerals Strategy in the DRC As America races to secure reliable supplies of lithium for EVs, batteries, and the clean-energy transition, the Manono project in the Democratic Republic of Congo offers both enormous potential and a stark warning. One of the world’s largest hard-rock lithium deposits, Manono is now at the center of a protracted legal and geopolitical dispute that risks handing China a decisive early advantage while complicating U.S.-backed efforts to build transparent, Western-aligned supply chains. Australian junior AVZ Minerals discovered the deposit and secured rights, only to see its exploration permit revoked by the DRC government in 2023. The northern section was reassigned to a joint venture dominated by China’s Zijin Mining (61%) and state-owned Cominière. Zijin is now advancing rapidly, targeting first lithium production in June 2026 with exports to follow immediately. Meanwhile, the southern section remains contested, with U.S.-backed KoBold Metals (backed by investors including Bill Gates) holding a conditional framework agreement to acquire AVZ’s interests and invest over $1 billion — but only once ownership is cleanly resolved. The dispute has escalated into parallel arbitrations. AVZ secured a partial ICC award against Cominière and continues its ICSID investment treaty claim against the DRC (Case No. ARB/23/20). As of March 20, 2026, the ICSID tribunal has been officially reconstituted, signaling that proceedings are resuming after earlier suspensions aimed at settlement talks. No final resolution has emerged, leaving title clouded and KoBold’s southern ambitions stalled. This saga raises serious governance concerns. Reports have highlighted nine red flags in Manono’s nascent lithium sector, including alleged irregularities in state share transfers, opaque beneficial ownership, questionable permit processes, hidden joint-venture contracts, and politically connected deals. These echo familiar patterns from DRC’s copper and cobalt eras, where elite capture and lack of transparency often undermined broad-based development. For U.S. policy, the stakes are clear. Lithium is a foundational critical mineral. China already dominates processing and is moving aggressively upstream in Africa. Allowing Manono’s northern section to feed primarily into Chinese supply chains while the south remains tied up in litigation weakens efforts to diversify away from Beijing’s leverage. The U.S.-DRC strategic minerals partnership — and similar “minerals-for-security” initiatives — must prioritize rule of law, contract sanctity, and transparent title resolution if American investors like KoBold are to deploy capital at scale. A fair settlement that compensates legitimate claims, clarifies ownership, and enables responsible development could unlock thousands of Congolese jobs, generate sustainable revenue for Kinshasa, and deliver ethically sourced lithium to Western markets. Conversely, prolonged uncertainty benefits only those comfortable with opacity. The recent reconstitution of the ICSID tribunal is a procedural step forward, but real progress requires sustained U.S. diplomatic engagement, insistence on strong governance standards, and concrete support for traceable supply chains. Manono is not just another African mining dispute — it is a test of whether the West can compete effectively in the global critical minerals race without repeating the mistakes of the past. The window is narrowing. Washington and Kinshasa should seize it before China’s first lithium from Manono cements a lasting foothold. #Manonolithium #DRC #AVZ #Kobold

U.S. Backs Glencore-Orion Deal in DRC as Critical Minerals Push Deepens bankable.africa/en/mining/0504…

@NeilRingdahl @sparkes_dwayne @ScottNorth64736 Do some research! The evidence is all there. $AVZ was stolen 100% by corrupt Chinese( #Zijin ) & #DRC #RDC officials. @icsid case for $10 billion compensation. An example- @CelestinKibeya of @cominiereSA - document fabrication and Chinese bribes. 👇 youtu.be/qaa45yps970?si…

@MINES_CD @Presidence_RDC @LouisWKabamba Cami devrait respecter la loi et ne pas commercer en fonction des pots-de-vin versés ! Cami sait que Cominiere et Zijin continuent d'exploiter illégalement la propriété d'AVZ Minerals !

@CelestinKibeya Why is the southern part of Manono blocked. Sit with $AVZ and do a deal, get a mining licence and move on.

Ce n'est PAS le problème : l'IGF a déjà dénoncé de nombreux agissements, comme celui du commissaire corrompu Zijin, mais aucune action ni poursuite n'a jamais été entreprise. Et si jamais il y en avait eu, on aurait affaire à des juges corrompus à Lumbashi. $AVZ fil PS : tout part du sommet : « Montrez-moi la corruption et je m'en occuperai. » @Presidence_RDC

@eale_patrick Are these the new pimps for DRC! Seriously all they know is corruption. Review the @AvzMinerals file and do your job! Embarrassing!!!! 🤡🤡🤡 $AVZ

RDC : Une task force interservices pour renforcer la lutte contre la corruption La Inspection Générale des Finances (IGF) a réuni, le 27 mars, plusieurs structures publiques engagées dans la lutte contre la corruption afin de renforcer la coordination de leurs actions. Aux côtés de l’IGF, ont participé à cette rencontre l’Agence de Prévention et de Lutte contre la Corruption (APLC), la Cellule d’Intelligence des Crimes et Malversations (CICM), l’Observatoire de Surveillance de la Corruption et de l’Éthique Professionnelle (OSCEP) ainsi que la Cellule Nationale des Renseignements Financiers (CENAREF). Les échanges ont mis en évidence des défis persistants, notamment le manque de coordination et les difficultés de partage d’informations. Pour y remédier, les institutions ont convenu de mettre en place une task force interservices chargée d’harmoniser les interventions, de mutualiser les renseignements et d’améliorer l’efficacité de la lutte contre les infractions financières. Le chef de service de l’IGF, Christophe Bitasimwa, a insisté sur la nécessité d’une action collective face à ce fléau, soulignant qu’aucune institution ne peut agir efficacement seule. Cette initiative s’inscrit dans la dynamique impulsée par le président Félix Tshisekedi, qui fait de la lutte contre la corruption une priorité nationale.

If Mr Friedland is correct, and that the DRC is struggling to get sulphuric acid for copper oxide ore processing, then the Manono North lithium sulphate plant that is meant to start producing this year could be in a bit of trouble also. Converting spodumene concentrate to lithium sulphate can use a broadly similar amount of sulphuric acid per tonne of final product, as processing copper oxide ore to copper. If they can't produce a sulphate intermediate product, they will need to transport spodumene concentrate. Sulphate contains ~5x the amount of lithium in say SC5.2. Transportation costs will be significant given the location of the mine. Could be one of the many reasons as to why the price of spodumene is running?

[ #Édito] Mines en RDC : quand l’État se sabote lui-même En République démocratique du Congo le scandale minier ne se limite plus à l’exploitation illégale des minerais, Il repose désormais sur l’identité de leurs architectes ou protecteurs présumés : des figures influentes au sommet de l’appareil sécuritaire et politique, selon plusieurs enquêtes. ⤵️ ☞ mines.cd/edito-mines-en…

@Africa_In_FR @Dossantd511 About time you did the “right thing” Mr president. Give back the licence you stole from @AvzMinerals and let them pay your country royalties for a very long time.

I’ve NEVER seen F1 release a pole lap onboard and then switch to off board shots of the car mid-lap. They’re doing absolutely everything to not show the bad super-clipping and derating into 130R and the Casio Triangle. It’s EMBARRASSING.