Highlights:

• Kobold Metals signed an agreement in principle with the DRC government on July 17, 2025.
• The deal includes the Manono lithium project, which has strategic value.
• The agreement signals U.S. efforts to counter China’s influence and support DRC stability.

U.S.-based Kobold Metals has signed an agreement in principle with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for mining exploration, including the Manono lithium deposit, in a move seen as part of Washington’s broader strategy to counter Chinese dominance in Africa’s critical minerals sector.

The signing took place on July 17, 2025, between Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba and Kobold’s DRC CEO Benjamin Katabuka, with President Félix Tshisekedi in attendance, the Congolese presidency said in a statement relayed by Bankable.

Ce jeudi à la Cité de l’Union africaine, le Chef de l’État Félix Tshisekedi a présidé la cérémonie de signature d’un accord de principe entre le gouvernement congolais et l’entreprise américaine Kobold Metals sur l’exploration minière en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC).… pic.twitter.com/iKcadEHiUX

— Présidence RDC ?? (@Presidence_RDC) July 17, 2025

Kinshasa described the deal as a “strategic partnership aimed at paving the way for American investment in the sector.” The Manono project, located in Tanganyika province, is considered a potentially large and long-life lithium mine.

Kobold, backed by investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, first made an offer to the Congolese government on January 21, proposing a resolution to the dispute between the DRC and Australia’s AVZ Minerals Limited over the Manono project. Kobold offered to compensate AVZ appropriately in exchange for the company dropping its claims to the deposit.

On May 6, Kobold and AVZ announced a framework agreement under which AVZ would transfer its commercial interests in Manono to Kobold at “fair value.” However, on June 24, AVZ said it had resumed arbitration against the DRC at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), after freezing the process a month earlier to explore an amicable settlement.

The dispute casts uncertainty over the future of Kobold’s offer, despite support from the U.S. government, which is also engaged in discussions with Kinshasa over a broader mining accord in exchange for American assistance in stabilizing eastern DRC.

Details of the agreement remain scarce, but Kobold has pledged to deploy advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, in its exploration operations. The firm also plans to invest in digitizing the country’s geological data and is expected to apply for exploration permits soon, according to its DRC-based general manager.