Interesting take from chatgpt.
In pure economic and strategic terms, Cominière’s lithium asset is the most valuable item on that shortlist, by a clear margin — even though it is also the most legally complicated.
I’ll rank them properly and explain why, separating headline value from bankable value.

1.
Cominière – Lithium (Manono)
Most valuable on paper. Highest strategic value globally.
Why it tops the list
- One of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits in the world
- Lithium is the core battery metal for EVs and grid storage
- Critical to US strategic supply chains and decoupling from China
- Long-life asset with tier-1 scale
Reality check
- Legal dispute (AVZ) clouds bankability
- Value is enormous, but conditional on settlement
Verdict

Highest prize, highest leverage, highest complexity

2.
Gécamines – Mutoshi Copper-Cobalt + Germanium
Most bankable critical-minerals asset.
Why it’s extremely valuable
- Cobalt remains critical for EV batteries (despite chemistry shifts)
- Germanium is a high-value, niche strategic metal (defence, semiconductors)
- Copper adds scale and cashflow
- Asset already better understood by Western miners
Strategic angle
- Directly hits China’s dominance in cobalt processing
- Easier for US partners to finance and insure than Manono
Verdict

Best near-term, low-drama strategic asset

3.
Sakima – Coltan, Gold, Wolframite
Strategically important, fragmented value.
Why it matters
- Coltan (tantalum) and wolframite (tungsten) are defence-critical
- Gold provides cashflow ballast
- Strong geopolitical narrative for the US
Limitations
- Smaller, more dispersed assets
- ESG and traceability challenges
- Less “headline scale” than lithium or cobalt
Verdict

Strategic, but not transformative
Sokimo – Four Gold Permits
Financially valuable, strategically ordinary.
Pros
- Gold is universally financeable
- Lower technical risk
Cons
- Gold does not materially reduce China’s critical-minerals leverage
- Less aligned with US industrial policy priorities
Verdict

Good money, weak strategic story

Kisenge – Manganese, Gold, Cassiterite
Lowest value in aggregate.
Why
- Manganese is important but generally abundant globally
- Cassiterite (tin) has niche value but limited scale
- Assets are smaller and less differentiated
Verdict

Nice optionality, not a flagship

Final ranking (value + strategy combined)
- Cominière – Lithium (Manono)

- Gécamines – Mutoshi copper-cobalt + germanium

- Sakima – Coltan / tungsten / gold

- Sokimo – Gold permits
- Kisenge – Manganese / tin / gold
The key insight (important)
From a US perspective:
- Lithium is the crown jewel
- Cobalt + germanium are the most actionable
- The rest are supporting pieces
From a DRC perspective:
- Offering lithium signals seriousness
- But it also forces resolution of existing disputes
- Which is why lithium is both the most valuable and the most sensitive