"It was not in the interest of our country, that's why we came back to it"
NEWSECONOMY
For Nicolas Kazadi, the Congolese government wants to reconsider the Manono lithium contract
March 31, 2023
Kiki Kienge
By
Kiki Kienge
This is now one of the issues that will make the headlines for a while in the DR Congo, Manono's lithium.
The DRC Congo after two negative attempts for the exploitation of lithium from Manono in the province of Tanganiyka, first with a Mauritian company, MMCS and later with the Chinese company, Simon Cong,
DATHOMIR . These two companies having received at least 70% of the shares of the Congolese State in the joint venture to carry out the feasibility study for the exploitation of lithium, were unable to do so despite the 70% received from raise sufficient funds for the realization of this project. The Australians of AVZ Minerals, buying 60% of the shares of DATHOMIR notably invited themselves to the dance, thus becoming the majority shareholder of DATHCOM, the joint venture between the Congolese State through COMINIERE and DATHOMIR of Simon Cong.
COMINIERE having sold off its shares, from 30% today with only 5%, puts the Congolese State in difficulty, which no longer has control over its lithium.
Here's how the current share distribution in DATHCOM would look like:
- AVZ 60% + (15% in dispute with DATHOMIR).
- COMINIERE had 25%, 15% sold to ZIJIN and 5% transferred to MMCS.
COMINIERE would thus only own 5% plus the 5% that DATHOMIR would have to retrocede to COMINIERE for not having built the Lubumbashi Manono road.
But then after having granted the exploitation permit to DATHCOM, the Minister of Mines of the DR Congo, Antoinette Nsamba
Kalambayi following the accusations of COMINIERE in the management of DATHCOM against AVZ Minerals, the latter had withdrawn the exploitation permit, thus blocking the construction of the factory for the exploitation of lithium in Manono.
Interviewed by a journalist from the Financial Times, the Minister of Finance of the DR Congo, Nicolas Kazadi spoke of a desire of the Congolese government to want to review the contract between COMMINIERE and its partners, AVZ Minerals and DATHOMIR:
“FTimes; Let's move on to another mineral that Congo has and is probably also in my phone, lithium. Congo has a potential large lithium project at Mano. It has also been in the news for various reasons. There was a dispute with one of the owners, AVZ Minerals. If I understand correctly, their license has been revoked. Can you tell us what the Congo is planning for this deposit? »
“N Kazadi; Yes, it was done a bit in a not very, very transparent way, it was not in the interest of our country, which is why we came back to it. But I would not like to say more about this, because the procedure is still ongoing. »
Should the Congolese government be content to recover its 25% sold off by its company COMINIERE, or seek to nibble a few more percentages of AVZ Minerals and the 15% still in dispute with DATHOMIR?
Par Kiki Kienge C’est désormais un des dossiers qui fera la une pendant un bon moment en RD Congo, le lithium de Manono. La RDC Congo après deux tentatives négatives…
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