A Kenyan hand holding soil and rocks, symbolizing environmental challenges amid ongoing reform efforts.
US-based KoBold Metals, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, has secured seven permits to explore lithium in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Manono region, home to one of the world’s richest deposits. The move positions Congo—already supplying 70% of global cobalt—as an emerging heavyweight in the clean energy transition. KoBold, which applies AI-driven exploration, will launch surveys immediately, adding to its cobalt-copper megaproject in Kolwezi, southern DRC. This venture supports the DRC’s strategy to leverage its critical minerals beyond cobalt and secure a dominant position in the global green energy supply chain. While the project promises economic growth and investment, activists emphasize the need for transparency, community engagement, and environmental care to avoid perpetuating the resource conflicts that have long troubled the region.
Africa News