AVZ Discussion 2022
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@$50 im BUYING Columbia!@ $50 I'm ordering a care package direct from Columbia
Azzler
Top 20
You no take candle!!!
Mute22
Regular
Mr Boulos just received a promotion to Senior Advisor for Africa. 
Perhaps to give him additional diplomatic agency.
I thought his meeting in the DRC was supposed to be yesterday? This article and the above promotion announcment states he is traveling to the DRC from Thursday.
www.semafor.com
Boulos is set to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda starting Thursday with the aim of advancing peace talks in the eastern DR Congo and promoting US investments in the region.
The Australian Article stated Monday:
Mr Boulos, the father-in-law of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany and his adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, is set to arrive in Kinshasa on Monday, in hopes of striking a critical minerals pact with the DRC in return for security.
Perhaps to give him additional diplomatic agency.
I thought his meeting in the DRC was supposed to be yesterday? This article and the above promotion announcment states he is traveling to the DRC from Thursday.
Trump’s daughter’s father-in-law named senior adviser for Africa
Massad Boulos is set to travel to Africa to advance peace talks in the eastern DR Congo this week.
Boulos is set to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda starting Thursday with the aim of advancing peace talks in the eastern DR Congo and promoting US investments in the region.
The Australian Article stated Monday:
Mr Boulos, the father-in-law of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany and his adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, is set to arrive in Kinshasa on Monday, in hopes of striking a critical minerals pact with the DRC in return for security.
Re: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/perthbased-avz-minerals-congo-lithium-hopes-hinge-on-us-envoys-talks/news-story/8ef1498e0d201415a5c0286718bac360
Although this article is behind a paywall, you can still read the full article.
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2. open https://archive.md/
3. plug the copied URL into the site's search bar, and enter
4. read the full article courtesy of News Corp.
Or bypass steps 1-4, and simply read the full article below.
A US special envoy is scheduled to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo for talks crucial to Australian minerals company AVZ’s hope of regaining control of a lithium project.
Brad Thompson
2 min read
March 30, 2025 - 7:36PM
Congolese police officers line up for redeployment following an enrolment of civilians. Picture: AFPUS special envoy Massad Boulos is due to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo for talks crucial to an Australian minerals company’s hope of regaining control and then on-selling a disputed lithium project now in the sights of Rio Tinto.
AVZ Minerals, whose shares were delisted in 2024, has its own representative heading to Kinshasa based on apparent US support for its claim over the disputed Manono lithium project. The Perth-based company has been exploring selling its Manono interest to KoBold Metals, whose backers include billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.
Mr Boulos, the father-in-law of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany and his adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, is set to arrive in Kinshasa on Monday, in hopes of striking a critical minerals pact with the DRC in return for security.
Dr Massad Boulos is due to conduct talks in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa. Picture: Getty ImagesThe move risks antagonising China, which has a significant mining presence in the DRC.
AVZ and KoBold representatives want to nail down a deal on the future of the southern portion of the Manono deposit from the talks starting on Tuesday. If all goes well, AVZ could on-sell the Manono interest for up to $US1.5bn ($2.38bn) plus a royalty. But there is no assurance of any outcome, favourable or otherwise.
A deal will depend on the US standing up for AVZ’s legal claim over Manono, which AVZ has separately tried to assert through international justice. It is understood California-based KoBold wants to see AVZ “appropriately compensated” for Manono.
KoBold chief executive Kurt House is expected to meet both President Felix Tshisekedi and Mr Boulos in Kinshasa.
The Australian broke the news of Washington’s unlikely advocacy for AVZ, whose DRC asset has been compared to the world-leading Greenbushes lithium mine in WA.
AVZ maintains it has rights to all of Manono even though the DRC has split the licence and allowed Chinese mining giant Zijin to forge ahead with development in the northern half.
Manono boasts an 842 million tonne resource at 1.61 per cent lithium oxide and is split into two geographically distinct northern and southern deposits. The southern part alone, sometimes referred to as Roche Dure, holds a 669 million tonne resource.
The US has indicated it is willing to back AVZ retrieving the southern licence to minimise antagonising China.
KoBold first cast its eye over the southern part of the deposit last October. It was invited to assess the disputed project by DRC-owned mining company Cominiere, which is involved in a legal battle over the asset with AVZ.
Rio, which is betting big on lithium, has since had talks with the DRC about the future of Manono and there is speculation it could join forces with KoBold in any development.
AVZ was valued at $4.6bn before a dispute over the Manono licence destroyed its fortunes. It maintains the DRC acted illegally by taking over its permit spanning the whole of Manono and then awarding the northern portion to a Zijin subsidiary in September 2023.
AVZ broke its silence on the talks with KoBold this month after scoring a legal victory in its battle with the DRC and Zijin.
An international arbitration court in Paris ordered Cominiere to pay AVZ a penalty of €39.12m ($67m) plus interest in the bitter dispute. The ICC awarded the penalty against Cominiere because it ignored previous emergency orders.
The US wants any sale by AVZ to not be complicated by residual links to China’s CATL – the world’s biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, which in January provided $20m in funding to AVZ to help the company finance the legal battle for Manono. It is understood both the US and KoBold favour a change of ownership based on the DRC and AVZ discontinuing legal action.
Although this article is behind a paywall, you can still read the full article.
1. copy the article's URL
2. open https://archive.md/
3. plug the copied URL into the site's search bar, and enter
4. read the full article courtesy of News Corp.
Or bypass steps 1-4, and simply read the full article below.
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Perth-based AVZ Minerals’ Congo lithium hopes hinge on US envoy’s talksA US special envoy is scheduled to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo for talks crucial to Australian minerals company AVZ’s hope of regaining control of a lithium project.
Brad Thompson
2 min read
March 30, 2025 - 7:36PM
Congolese police officers line up for redeployment following an enrolment of civilians. Picture: AFP
AVZ Minerals, whose shares were delisted in 2024, has its own representative heading to Kinshasa based on apparent US support for its claim over the disputed Manono lithium project. The Perth-based company has been exploring selling its Manono interest to KoBold Metals, whose backers include billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos.
Mr Boulos, the father-in-law of US President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany and his adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, is set to arrive in Kinshasa on Monday, in hopes of striking a critical minerals pact with the DRC in return for security.
Dr Massad Boulos is due to conduct talks in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa. Picture: Getty Images
AVZ and KoBold representatives want to nail down a deal on the future of the southern portion of the Manono deposit from the talks starting on Tuesday. If all goes well, AVZ could on-sell the Manono interest for up to $US1.5bn ($2.38bn) plus a royalty. But there is no assurance of any outcome, favourable or otherwise.
A deal will depend on the US standing up for AVZ’s legal claim over Manono, which AVZ has separately tried to assert through international justice. It is understood California-based KoBold wants to see AVZ “appropriately compensated” for Manono.
KoBold chief executive Kurt House is expected to meet both President Felix Tshisekedi and Mr Boulos in Kinshasa.
The Australian broke the news of Washington’s unlikely advocacy for AVZ, whose DRC asset has been compared to the world-leading Greenbushes lithium mine in WA.
AVZ maintains it has rights to all of Manono even though the DRC has split the licence and allowed Chinese mining giant Zijin to forge ahead with development in the northern half.
Manono boasts an 842 million tonne resource at 1.61 per cent lithium oxide and is split into two geographically distinct northern and southern deposits. The southern part alone, sometimes referred to as Roche Dure, holds a 669 million tonne resource.
The US has indicated it is willing to back AVZ retrieving the southern licence to minimise antagonising China.
KoBold first cast its eye over the southern part of the deposit last October. It was invited to assess the disputed project by DRC-owned mining company Cominiere, which is involved in a legal battle over the asset with AVZ.
Rio, which is betting big on lithium, has since had talks with the DRC about the future of Manono and there is speculation it could join forces with KoBold in any development.
AVZ was valued at $4.6bn before a dispute over the Manono licence destroyed its fortunes. It maintains the DRC acted illegally by taking over its permit spanning the whole of Manono and then awarding the northern portion to a Zijin subsidiary in September 2023.
AVZ broke its silence on the talks with KoBold this month after scoring a legal victory in its battle with the DRC and Zijin.
An international arbitration court in Paris ordered Cominiere to pay AVZ a penalty of €39.12m ($67m) plus interest in the bitter dispute. The ICC awarded the penalty against Cominiere because it ignored previous emergency orders.
The US wants any sale by AVZ to not be complicated by residual links to China’s CATL – the world’s biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, which in January provided $20m in funding to AVZ to help the company finance the legal battle for Manono. It is understood both the US and KoBold favour a change of ownership based on the DRC and AVZ discontinuing legal action.
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Maybe Mr Boulos knows. He's Senior Advisor for Arab, Middle East and Africa now...
There is still plenty of other interest in Manono ...may be rumours..may be truth ...but here is a list of potential bidders.
Kobold
Rio Tinto
2 other American companies mentioned earlier have interest
The Saudis
EU consortium
Twiggy FMG
Glencore
CATH
Korea had an consortium visiting DRC as well
and plenty of Left fielder...like BHP or any Chinese state owned company like Zijin or Tianqi Lithium.
I bet there is plenty of interest....
Kobold
Rio Tinto
2 other American companies mentioned earlier have interest
The Saudis
EU consortium
Twiggy FMG
Glencore
CATH
Korea had an consortium visiting DRC as well
and plenty of Left fielder...like BHP or any Chinese state owned company like Zijin or Tianqi Lithium.
I bet there is plenty of interest....
Aaaw brings back memories... anyone else remember when we were the ones who were gonna be part of a "Special Economic Zone"?
More seriously though, is this a step by Felix towards his planned resolution of things with whatever company/consortium is going to buy out AVZ? Use the SEZ to give them more favourable terms? Or (as some have suggested on here) a tax break on the sale of an asset?
Would be good to have other interested partners with Kobold .6
As this hinges on Security for Minerals which only US can provide.
It was already mentioned a possible JV with RIO and Kobold which makes a lot of sense as Kobold are not miners.
Manono has to go to US
IMO
Is anyone else other than a US consortium a real option given the desperation by the US for some form of support from the US to help resolve the armed conflict? If the DRC and US are locked into some security deal then that means the only viable bidder will be one led by a US company. Obviously eu, saudi's, rio, etc could supply finance and expertise as some have speculated. My point being though, the number of actual bidders may be limited. So AVZ's options may be take the offer on the table or go to court. This environment makes it difficult to drag a fair and reasonable bid out of the US consortium. I obviously could be misreading the situation and do hope I'm wrong, as like everyone else here, I'd love $12/share.
One thing I do know, now that we seem to have some action, I really hope this gets resolved quickly.
Mute22
Regular
At the heart of this conundrum is what will be considered 'fair compensation'.
We didn’t ask to be caught in this mess. If the DRC had adhered to its own mining code, we’d have an operational mine by now. Instead, we've been forced into a position where some might say we are being forced to sell under duress, which is entirely unreasonable.
If KoBold and Rio Tinto are serious about acquiring what we legally own, then their offers must reflect that reality. So far, their starting bids have to at least interested NF otherwise, we wouldn’t even be at the negotiating table, and would rather have blinders on for full steam ahead to the courts.
Should they refuse to provide reasonable compensation, then the path forward is clear - we take this battle to the ICSID. While nothing is ever guaranteed in dealmaking, the geopolitical landscape certainly favors our position. The DRC's need for U.S. support gives the U.S. significant leverage, and that, in turn, strengthens our hand as unlike the Chinese, they will follow the international rules based order.
I am still of the mindset, there is still a high likelihood we will proceed through the courts to set an undeniable valuation on the project, and compensation for damages.
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I dont want to go through the courts for two reasons. Namely time, I want out asap and secondly there is risk in outcome however small. Going the legal route is the last option imv and so a discounted buyout off of fair value is reasonable.
Mute22
Regular
I don't want to either, here's hoping for an outcome in the next 60 days!
Nothing to do but have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to come together either way.
Frank
Top 20
Three Cheers for Titan - Hip Hip
LOCKY82
Regular
Rio Tinto shows interest in lithium offerings in Democratic Republic of Congo
Rio Tinto shows interest in lithium offerings in Democratic Republic of Congo, which would get them into one of the world's biggest markets
mugglehead.com
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