Bezos-Backed KoBold in Dispute Over Major African Lithium Mine

Perth-based AVZ Minerals said the deal breaches an international arbitration order that establishes the company as the holder of a lithium mining permit.
Bezos-Backed KoBold in Dispute Over Major African Lithium Mine
Artisanal miners work in the Kamituga artisanal mine, in the South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Sept. 20, 2024. Glody Murhabazi/AFP via Getty Images
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A Perth-based miner that holds a majority stake in a disputed lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed that a deal between the Congolese government and U.S. company KoBold Metals breaches an existing international arbitration order.

On July 18, the Congolese government signed an agreement with KoBold Metals, a technology-driven mining exploration company backed by U.S. billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, paving the way for the latter to acquire the Roche Dure lithium deposit in Manono, south of Congo.
Alfred Bui
Alfred Bui
Author
Alfred Bui is an Australian reporter based in Melbourne and focuses on local and business news. He is a former small business owner and has two master’s degrees in business and business law. Contact him at [email protected].