KoBold Metals, a U.S. company backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, has been granted seven new mining exploration permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), international news reports said on August 27, 2025. According to data from the Mining Cadastre (CAMI), four of the permits are located in the Manono territory of Tanganyika province, with three others in Malemba Nkulu in Haut-Lomami province.

The move follows a preliminary agreement signed in July that allows KoBold to launch a large-scale exploration program across a 1,600 km² area. In accordance with the Congolese mining code, the exploration permits are valid for five years and grant KoBold the exclusive right to carry out work on the designated minerals, with work required to begin within one year.

The permits cover a dozen minerals, including lithium, coltan, and rare earths. However, an unnamed company official told Reuters that exploration efforts will focus on lithium. A portion of the Manono site is considered to hold one of the world's largest lithium deposits, though it remains at the center of a legal dispute.

The Australian company AVZ Minerals claims the Congolese government illegally terminated its rights to a permit covering a section of the site, which it initially held in partnership with the state-owned company Cominière. AVZ has initiated international arbitration at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The process was frozen for a time in anticipation of an amicable settlement but resumed in June.

Under the preliminary agreement signed in July, KoBold is responsible for resolving the dispute. In that effort, KoBold and AVZ announced a framework agreement on May 6 for AVZ to sell its business interests in the Manono deposit at a "fair value." AVZ confirmed on July 21 that discussions remain ongoing.

Meanwhile, another part of the deposit is already under the control of China's Zijin Mining Group, which holds an exploitation permit for the northeast zone. According to its 2024 annual report, preliminary surveys identified 2.62 million tons of lithium oxide at an average grade of 1.5%, which is equivalent to approximately 6.47 million tons of lithium carbonate. Zijin plans to begin production in the first quarter of 2026.

The granting of permits to KoBold is part of a strategic alignment between Kinshasa and Washington. The Congolese and U.S. governments have engaged in discussions to link mining concessions with security support, as Washington seeks to reduce its industries' dependence on China's dominance of strategic mineral supply chains. Lithium, which is essential for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, is central to these efforts.

Timothée Manoke (Intern)

Cadastre minier (CAMI), the state body managing mining rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has reminded holders of mining rights of their regulatory obligations to begin work. In a statement dated August 20, 2025, and signed by its director general, Popol Mabolia Yenga, CAMI issued a warning that failure to comply could result in the revocation of titles.

The document includes a list of 93 titles at risk of cancellation for non-compliance with legal provisions. Of these, 55 are exploration permits and 33 are exploitation licenses. The list features prominent companies, including Tenke Fungurume Mining, cited for two titles covering six mining blocks in Lualaba province, and Cimenterie de Lukala (Cilu), which holds a title for five mining blocks in the Kongo Central province.

CAMI is enforcing articles 387 and 391 of the Mining Regulations, which require holders of mining and quarrying rights to provide proof that work has commenced within prescribed deadlines: one year from the date of issuance for exploration permits, and between one and three years for exploitation licenses, depending on the case.

Failure to comply exposes operators to the forfeiture of their rights, followed by definitive cancellation after an investigation. The Mining Code also stipulates that any holder whose rights have been forfeited is barred from obtaining new mining or quarrying rights for a period of five years.

This warning comes amid an increasingly strict approach to managing the DRC's mining sector. On August 4, 2025, CAMI submitted its cadastral registry cleanup report to the Minister of Mines, which stated that 594 mining and quarrying titles covering 37,253 mining blocks had been freed up for new investors. The report also noted the regularization of 210 rights that had been under a force majeure status, reclassifying them as active and subject once again to their fiscal, social, and technical obligations.

In 2024, the cleanup process led to the cancellation of over 1,000 non-compliant titles, helping CAMI exceed its budget forecasts for the first quarter of that year by 185.05%.

Timothée Manoke (Intern)

Japanese firm Solafune has signed a definitive agreement with the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC), the Ministry of Mines announced on August 23, 2025. The deal, signed on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), was attended by Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba.

The document follows a memorandum of understanding reached in July. While details were not disclosed, the ministry said the first phase of the partnership “starts immediately” and introduces a platform combining satellite remote sensing and geospatial technology with artificial intelligence. The aim is to equip Congolese geologists with modern tools to improve knowledge of the national subsoil, about 90% of which remains unexplored.

Minister Watum Kabamba described the technology transfer as “a decisive step” for national technical services, urging the SGNC to fully exploit the tools to expand geological mapping and accelerate the discovery of new deposits.

The agreement comes as mining exploration in DR Congo increasingly turns to advanced technology. U.S.-based KoBold Metals, backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, is preparing to use satellite data and AI to explore Congolese deposits. The company has applied for a research permit covering 1,600 km² and signed an agreement with the mining cadastre (CAMI) to digitize geological archives preserved at the Royal Museum for Central Africa.

• Kibali produced 306,667 ounces in H1 2025, below the half-year target of 344,000–377,500 ounces.
  

• Production is down 13% year-on-year due to lower ore grades and operational challenges.
  

• Strong gold prices boosted revenues despite lower output
  

The Kibali gold mine in Haut-Uélé province, DRC, produced 306,666.6 ounces (8,693.8 kg) of gold in the first half of 2025. Barrick Mining, the mine’s operator, reported the figure on August 11. This output falls short of the half-year target of 344,000–377,500 ounces and marks a 13% decline compared with 351,111 ounces in the same period of 2024.

AngloGold Ashanti, which holds a 45% stake in the mine alongside Barrick, attributes the decline to lower ore grades. “Operational difficulties have reduced the amount of underground ore available for processing, increasing the use of lower-grade open-pit ore,” the company said. Barrick had previously forecast higher underground grades later in the year, but this has not yet materialized.

Despite the production drop, high gold prices have bolstered revenue. Kibali’s first-half average selling price is forecast at $3,099 per ounce, up from $2,213 a year earlier. The mine generated $702.2 million in sales in 2024, and analysts from Canadian firm Fidelity anticipate gold could reach $4,000 per ounce by year-end, supporting Barrick’s revenue growth even amid lower output.

This article was initially reported in French by Pierre Mukoko

Adapted in English by Ola Schad Akinocho