KoBold Metals Just Got Its First Lithium Ground in Congo
The Gates and Bezos-backed explorer has won seven exploration permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo, four of them in the contested Manono territory. The post KoBold Metals Just Got Its First Lithium Ground in Congo appeared first on The Rio Times .
KoBold Metals secured seven exploration permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 27, 2026. Four of the permits are located in Manono territory, Tanganyika province, while the remaining three are in Malemba Nkulu territory, Haut-Lomami. The licences also cover tin, rare earths, coltan, and gold, with the primary focus being on lithium.
However, the finalisation of these permits depends on resolving a long-standing dispute between the Congolese government and Australia's AVZ Minerals over rights at Manono. The exact terms of this arbitration remain undisclosed. KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, is the most visible private vehicle for the United States' critical-minerals push into Central Africa, aiming to rebuild the railway to the Atlantic port of Lobito through Angola.
This push is contingent on the resolution of the AVZ dispute and potential bans on copper and cobalt concentrate exports, which aim to force onshore processing. The Congolese government's ordinance from June 2026 seeks to encourage processing rather than export of raw materials, similar to Indonesia's nickel and Chile's lithium policies.
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