"Manono : Nine Red Flags in the Nascent Lithium Sector in the DRC." 8 December 2025

'In the Tanganyika province, around the town of Manono, lies one of the world’s largest untapped hard-rock lithium deposits. Once commercial exploitation begins, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could position itself at the forefront of the global market for this critical mineral, essential for battery manufacturing and the global energy transition.

However, behind this strategic potential lie several areas of concern that raise serious worries about governance and transparency in the management of the various mining projects around Manono.

Over the past decade, several foreign companies have sought to obtain exploration permits in partnership with the state-owned company Cominière. These efforts have often been marked by abrupt changes in ownership, allegations of corruption, and protracted legal battles.

It is in this context that Resource Matters calls for caution and vigilance in the development of the Congolese lithium sector. While not constituting direct proof of corruption, several warning signs highlight the need for investors, governments, and institutions to strengthen their oversight and ensure fair competition. Lithium exploitation in Manono represents a historic opportunity for the DRC. However, if it is conducted opaquely, it risks repeating the mistakes of the past, where natural resources enriched a few at the expense of everyone else.

The aim of this warning is not to discourage investment, but to ensure that it takes place within a transparent, equitable framework that benefits local communities.

We have identified nine warning signs in the nascent lithium sector in the DRC:

• The long-standing dispute between AVZ and Cominière over the Southern part of Manono;
• Possible irregularities in the transfer of State shares in joint ventures;
• Difficulty tracing the effective ownership of certain companies;
• Questionable role of certain companies in mining project development and the transfer of mining rights;
• Questionable respect of procedures in the attribution of mining permits;
• The role of Cominière and its apparent ease at doing business with politically-connected companies;
• Opacity in the publication of contracts of joint venture between Cominière and private companies;
• Dubious payments to a politically connected NGO;
• Missing money? (The $20 million missing from AVZ’s deposit account)'