The Chinese monopoly on African minerals, a handicap for the development of the black continent?
May 24, 2023
Kiki Kienge
By
Kiki Kienge
Access to lithium reserves has become the Third World War, Africa is the battlefield for its rich deposits of this mineral, China, the world's leading producer of batteries, does not want to leave room for maneuver to its adversary, United States.
Chinese companies are trying to get hold of all the lithium deposits on the black continent by all means, thus guaranteeing its supply chain and reassuring its position of world leadership.
Establishing battery factories, investing massively in the mining sector on the African continent, as the case of DR Congo where the country of Mao continues to sign partnerships with the government and mining companies, China which already controls more than 60 % of minerals in the country of Lumumba, wants to consolidate in particular its presence in the Congolese lithium industry.
China's strategy in DR Congo in particular and in Africa in general, is to monopolize lithium, as is already the case for cobalt, thus having control of global supplies and battery prices. lithium ions.
However, a Chinese monopoly in the management of African resources would lead to African countries being dependent on Chinese dictate, it would be crucial for Africans to move forward with caution in agreements, it would be wise for African authorities to collaborate with other other global actors, equitable partnerships to protect their long-term interests and guarantee the sustainable development of their country.
The administration of American President Joe Biden gives pride of place to electric vehicles which by 2035 will be the only ones to be sold widowed in many Western countries. So much for anticipating the Chinese strategy, the US State Department signed with DR Congo and Zambia, in December 2022, a partnership agreement for a battery development chain, DR Congo which is the largest producer of cobalt in the world and Zambia, Africa's largest copper producer.
By 2050, lithium needs could be multiplied by 57, with its deposits, the DR Congo can place itself alongside Australia and Chile as one of the three major lithium producers in the world, of course if the DR Congo was starting the exploitation of its ore, which should start this year, but blocked by mysterious maneuvers in the agreements of the Congolese State company and the Australian partner, AVZ MINERALS.
In addition to the Erongo project in Namibia by the Chinese giant Huyaou Cobalt, which has invested US$2.5 million, China will buy the lithium mine of the mining company Williams Minerals in Zimbabwe for 1.75 billion dollars from the group of Chinese holding company Feishang Group and the civil engineering company Top Pacific (China).
With the visit of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to China from the 24th to the 29th of this month, China intends to reassure its hold on Congolese lithium.
With the visit of the Congolese President, Félix Tshisekedi to China from the 24th to the 29th of this month, China intends to reassure its hold on the Congolese lithium, especially in the fight of his group, ZIJIN with the Australians of AVZ MINERALS of the Manono deposit. in Tanganyika.
It is up to the Congolese head of state, Félix Tshisekedi, to cede or not the monopoly of lithium to China, as it was for his predecessor, Joseph Kabila on Congolese cobalt.
