https://x.com/KiengeKki/status/1954501256002629683
ENGLISH VERSION Mines_RDC_USA The Lithium of Manono and the Coltan of Rubaya: U.S. Mining Priorities in the DRC By Kiki #Kienge Between ambitions and political realities, as part of its new strategy for securing access to critical metals, the United States is making the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a central piece of its supply policy. Two sites are at the heart of American priorities: the Manono lithium deposit (Tanganyika) and the artisanal coltan mine of Rubaya (North Kivu). Yet these projects still face major obstacles — legal disputes on one side, security instability on the other. An Agreement with the Congolese Mining Cadastre: Toward a Strategic Mapping of Resources In an initiative supported by Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. company KoBold Metals signed a memorandum of understanding with the Congolese Mining Cadastre (CAMI) and the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC). This partnership aims to digitize the DRC’s geoscientific archives, in a country where less than 20% of the territory has been properly explored, according to Congolese authorities. The objective of this collaboration is clear: identify and secure the most promising deposits of critical metals essential to the global energy transition — lithium, cobalt, coltan, nickel, copper. Within this framework, Manono and Rubaya stand out as the two main priorities for the Americans. Manono: A Lithium Giant Paralyzed by a Dispute with AVZ Minerals The Manono deposit, considered one of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits in the world, remains untapped. Located in the southeast of the country, it is currently at the center of a complex legal dispute between the Australian company AVZ Minerals and Congolese partners, including Cominière, a state-owned enterprise. This dispute prevents any concrete progress on the ground, despite growing interest from international investors and Western governments. For Washington, the stakes are strategic: securing a direct lithium supply, indispensable for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. How could Kinshasa unlock this case? By making a political decision in favor of a structured international partnership, or by buying out the disputed shares and reallocating them — but that would require a clear will from the Congolese authorities and an arbitration against already entrenched interests. Rubaya: Coltan Under M23 Control The other American priority, the artisanal coltan mine of Rubaya, in the Masisi territory (North Kivu), is located in an area occupied by M23 rebels, militarily supported by Rwanda according to several UN reports. Despite the site’s wealth, extraction remains artisanal, outside of state oversight, and fuels a parallel economy controlled by armed groups. In this context, U.S. access to Rubaya is currently impossible without the restoration of state authority in the region. However, Kinshasa’s military efforts, first backed by the EAC and then by the SADC, have struggled to bring lasting peace to the area. Kinshasa Facing a Geopolitical Dilemma To meet U.S. expectations, the Congolese government must first resolve two major domestic issues: a legal and commercial dispute in the southeast, and a simmering conflict in the east. This requires international negotiation capacity, high-level political arbitration, and a coherent security strategy. In Manono’s case, this could involve a political or financial agreement with AVZ or its partners, potentially under U.S. pressure or mediation. For Rubaya, stabilizing North Kivu remains a non-negotiable prerequisite. By betting on geological digitization and the reactivation of dormant mining permits, the United States is seeking to entrench itself in the Congolese mining landscape. But between strategic ambitions and realities on the ground, Kinshasa’s government now faces a test of sovereignty and credibility.
ENGLISH VERSION Mines_RDC_USA The Lithium of Manono and the Coltan of Rubaya: U.S. Mining Priorities in the DRC By Kiki #Kienge Between ambitions and political realities, as part of its new strategy for securing access to critical metals, the United States is making the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a central piece of its supply policy. Two sites are at the heart of American priorities: the Manono lithium deposit (Tanganyika) and the artisanal coltan mine of Rubaya (North Kivu). Yet these projects still face major obstacles — legal disputes on one side, security instability on the other. An Agreement with the Congolese Mining Cadastre: Toward a Strategic Mapping of Resources In an initiative supported by Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. company KoBold Metals signed a memorandum of understanding with the Congolese Mining Cadastre (CAMI) and the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC). This partnership aims to digitize the DRC’s geoscientific archives, in a country where less than 20% of the territory has been properly explored, according to Congolese authorities. The objective of this collaboration is clear: identify and secure the most promising deposits of critical metals essential to the global energy transition — lithium, cobalt, coltan, nickel, copper. Within this framework, Manono and Rubaya stand out as the two main priorities for the Americans. Manono: A Lithium Giant Paralyzed by a Dispute with AVZ Minerals The Manono deposit, considered one of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits in the world, remains untapped. Located in the southeast of the country, it is currently at the center of a complex legal dispute between the Australian company AVZ Minerals and Congolese partners, including Cominière, a state-owned enterprise. This dispute prevents any concrete progress on the ground, despite growing interest from international investors and Western governments. For Washington, the stakes are strategic: securing a direct lithium supply, indispensable for manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles. How could Kinshasa unlock this case? By making a political decision in favor of a structured international partnership, or by buying out the disputed shares and reallocating them — but that would require a clear will from the Congolese authorities and an arbitration against already entrenched interests. Rubaya: Coltan Under M23 Control The other American priority, the artisanal coltan mine of Rubaya, in the Masisi territory (North Kivu), is located in an area occupied by M23 rebels, militarily supported by Rwanda according to several UN reports. Despite the site’s wealth, extraction remains artisanal, outside of state oversight, and fuels a parallel economy controlled by armed groups. In this context, U.S. access to Rubaya is currently impossible without the restoration of state authority in the region. However, Kinshasa’s military efforts, first backed by the EAC and then by the SADC, have struggled to bring lasting peace to the area. Kinshasa Facing a Geopolitical Dilemma To meet U.S. expectations, the Congolese government must first resolve two major domestic issues: a legal and commercial dispute in the southeast, and a simmering conflict in the east. This requires international negotiation capacity, high-level political arbitration, and a coherent security strategy. In Manono’s case, this could involve a political or financial agreement with AVZ or its partners, potentially under U.S. pressure or mediation. For Rubaya, stabilizing North Kivu remains a non-negotiable prerequisite. By betting on geological digitization and the reactivation of dormant mining permits, the United States is seeking to entrench itself in the Congolese mining landscape. But between strategic ambitions and realities on the ground, Kinshasa’s government now faces a test of sovereignty and credibility.
