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DRC Lithium Discovery Could Make Congo the World\'s Largest Supplier
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soxito
May 18 2026
4510
DRC Lithium
A geological survey commissioned by the DRC's Ministry of Mines has identified a lithium carbonate-equivalent deposit of 2.7 billion tonnes in the Minembwe plateau of South Kivu, dwarfing the reserves of any other single deposit globally.
The discovery is contingent on further feasibility drilling, but initial core samples have confirmed grade qualities competitive with the Atacama Desert deposits that underpin Chile's dominance in the sector.
The DRC government has indicated it will award exploration licences exclusively through a competitive tender process, with a mandatory 30% state participation requirement that it hopes will prevent the enclave economics that have characterised previous mining booms.
This article was reported by the AfriDevMonitor editorial team. Additional reporting contributed by our correspondents in Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, and Cairo.
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