Quick Facts
| Location | Tanganyika Province; -7.30°S, 27.45°E |
| Ownership | Contested: AVZ claims rights via Dathcom Mining; Zijin reports Manono Northeast Lithium Project exposure through Manono Lithium SAS; KoBold Metals signed a framework with AVZ and has pursued DRC entry |
| Production | Pre-production; no official operating mine confirmed as of May 21, 2026 |
| Workforce | Limited pre-production activity |
| Primary Minerals | Lithium, Tin |
| Corridor Connection | ~500km north of Lubumbashi; not directly on Lobito Corridor route |
| Project Source Links | AVZ Minerals · Zijin Manono Northeast · KoBold-AVZ framework |
Overview
The Manono Project is one of the world's largest hard-rock lithium districts and one of the most contested mining assets in the DRC, entangled in a multi-party legal battle involving AVZ Minerals, Cominière, Zijin Mining interests, and KoBold Metals.
Located in Tanganyika Province approximately 500 kilometres north of Lubumbashi, Manono contains a large lithium-bearing pegmatite system. The deposit is strategically significant, but no operating mine should be inferred from resource-size claims because ownership, permitting, and arbitration issues remain unresolved.
The dispute centres on ownership rights. Australia's AVZ Minerals conducted exploration under a joint venture with state-owned Cominière, claiming rights through Dathcom Mining and mining permit PR13359. Zijin separately reports exposure to the Manono Northeast Lithium Project through Manono Lithium SAS. Those positions remain contested and should not be presented as settled title.
AVZ has pursued proceedings in both the ICC and ICSID. KoBold Metals signed a May 2025 framework agreement with AVZ for a potential development package, while separate DRC-level engagement involving KoBold has also been reported. The practical ownership and development path remains unresolved pending enforceable legal, regulatory, and commercial outcomes.
Community Impact
Manono's development, whenever it occurs, would transform Tanganyika Province. The region is remote and underdeveloped, with limited infrastructure. Construction of a mine at this scale would require approximately USD 650 million in capital expenditure, including a 400km access road and hydroelectric power supply on the Luvua River.
The protracted ownership dispute has meant that the community benefits promised by multiple parties remain unrealised. Local expectations have been raised and frustrated repeatedly as different companies and governments make competing claims.
Environmental Profile
The environmental profile of Manono development would include significant land disturbance, water management challenges, and the ecological impacts of constructing substantial infrastructure in a relatively undeveloped area. AVZ's engineers designed a Dense Media Separation plant with recovery rates exceeding 80%, which could reduce processing impacts compared to conventional hard-rock lithium extraction.
ESG Assessment
Status: Under Assessment
This mine has not yet received a formal Lobito Corridor ESG rating. Our assessment team is compiling baseline data from public sources, field observations, and stakeholder consultations. ESG review signals, when issued, will be verified through the source library.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2016-2020 | AVZ Minerals conducts exploration; identifies world-class deposit |
| May 2022 | AVZ reports Dathcom was notified of a ministerial decree to award the Manono mining permit; subsequent DRC actions and JV disputes made the permit status contested |
| May 2022 | AVZ shares suspended on ASX amid emerging dispute |
| 2023 | DRC/CAMI and Cominière actions split or reallocated parts of the Manono tenure; Zijin reports a separate Manono Northeast Lithium Project through Manono Lithium SAS, while AVZ contests those actions |
| June 2023 | AVZ files ICSID arbitration against the DRC |
| Jan 2024 | AVZ reports interim/provisional measures in its arbitration strategy; any tribunal orders should be checked against primary case materials before being treated as final title findings |
| March 2025 | ICC orders Cominiere to pay EUR 39.1M penalty to AVZ |
| May 2025 | KoBold and AVZ announce a conditional framework for KoBold to acquire AVZ's interests, dependent on dispute resolution, regulatory approvals, and agreement with the DRC state |
| June 2025 | AVZ resumes ICSID arbitration after DRC refuses to engage |
| July 2025 | Separate DRC-level KoBold engagement is reported; AVZ disputes any pathway that bypasses its claimed Dathcom rights and arbitration process |
| Nov 2025 | ASIC launches proceedings against AVZ over disclosure failures |
Related Pages
Company: AVZ Minerals · Zijin Mining · KoBold Metals
Related Mines: Mingomba (KoBold's Zambia project)
Country: DRC Profile
Index: All Mine Profiles · ESG Observatory
This profile is produced independently by Lobito Corridor and does not represent the views of AVZ Minerals, Zijin Mining, KoBold Metals, or any government. Data sourced from public filings, government reports, and independent research. Last updated: May 21, 2026.
Independent ESG Assessment
Our independent ESG assessment evaluates this operation's environmental management, social impact, governance quality, and disclosure transparency. Environmental assessment covers water management, waste handling, air emissions, biodiversity impacts, and mine closure planning. Social assessment examines community relations, employment practices, local procurement, benefit-sharing, and human rights performance. Governance assessment evaluates corporate transparency, anti-corruption measures, and stakeholder engagement quality.
Any comparative ESG scorecard should be treated as editorial analysis unless supported by a dated methodology, source pack, and right-of-response process. Rating language should distinguish demonstrated performance from policy commitments.
Community Impact Monitoring
Community impact monitoring around this operation tracks the full spectrum of mining effects on surrounding populations. Employment and procurement spending quantify direct economic benefits to local communities. Environmental monitoring tracks water quality, air quality, and ecosystem health in areas affected by operations. Community consultation processes are evaluated for meaningful participation versus performative compliance. Grievance mechanisms are assessed for accessibility, responsiveness, and outcome fairness.
Stakeholders should assess community-benefit claims through public commitments, implementation evidence, grievance records, regulator material, company disclosures, and credible community or civil-society reporting.
Labour Practices Assessment
Labour practices at this operation are assessed against both national labour law requirements and international standards including ILO conventions and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Our assessment covers wage levels and payment practices, working hours and overtime compensation, occupational health and safety conditions, freedom of association and collective bargaining, contract terms and employment security, and subcontractor labour standards. Subcontractor labour conditions receive particular attention as subcontracting relationships can create distance between the operating company and workers that enables standards erosion.
Our assessment includes worker consultation that captures perspectives not reflected in corporate compliance reporting. Workers face barriers to reporting concerns through company channels including fear of retaliation, distrust of management-controlled grievance mechanisms, and language barriers. Our independent worker consultation provides confidential channels through which labour concerns can be documented and, where appropriate, escalated through advocacy or referral to labour rights organisations. All worker consultation documentation is handled with strict confidentiality to protect worker anonymity and prevent retaliation.
Supply Chain and Market Position
This mine's position within global mineral supply chains determines the economic dynamics that shape its operational decisions and community impact. Copper and cobalt prices, processing locations, end-user industries, and supply-demand dynamics create the commercial context within which environmental and social management decisions are made. When commodity prices are high, operators may invest more in community development and environmental management; when prices fall, these investments face pressure. Our monitoring tracks the relationship between market conditions and ESG performance to assess whether responsible practices are maintained through market cycles or only during profitable periods.
The corridor's logistics infrastructure — railway capacity, port throughput, transport costs — directly affects this mine's export economics. Improved corridor logistics reduce transport costs, improving mine profitability and potentially creating space for increased community benefit-sharing. Conversely, logistics bottlenecks increase costs and reduce the economic surplus available for community investment. Our strategic analysis evaluates how corridor infrastructure development affects this mine's economics and, consequently, the resources available for community benefit and environmental management.