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Mineral explorer KoBold Metals, backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has launched a lithium exploration campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Reuters reported.
The United States has prioritised DR Congo in its drive to stockpile critical minerals as it tries to diminish China's position in the global mineral supply market.
DRC is the world's top cobalt producer and Africa's largest copper supplier, with vast but largely unexplored lithium reserves, making it a key plank in global supply chains for electric vehicles and the clean energy transition.
The US established a formal agreement with DR Congo's government last year.
Active in Zambia
KoBold, already active in copper exploration in Zambia, said the lithium exploration programme spans 13 exploration licences and involves airborne surveys across 30,000 square-kilometres, extensive drilling and large‑scale geochemical sampling, with lithium the primary target.
The campaign centres on the Manono region of Tanganyika province, home to some of the world's highest‑grade lithium pegmatites.
Australia‑based AVZ Minerals is in international arbitration over rights to the Manono block, saying a July 2025 agreement between the Congolese government and KoBold breaches an existing order.
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