A closer look at the DRC’s nascent lithium sector

The document identifies significant risks in the DRC's emerging lithium sector, including a lack of public environmental impact assessments, the involvement of politically exposed persons (PEPs) in mining concessions, and a lack of transparency regarding contracts and beneficial ownership. It highlights the role of companies like AVZ Minerals, Tantalex Resources, and Critical Resources, and argues that the energy transition must not be underpinned by predatory economic models or environmental harm. The report recommends that companies and the Congolese government adopt OECD due diligence standards and ensure full transparency of payments and ownership to prevent corruption and human rights abuses.

• There is a significant lack of publicly available information regarding the environmental risks of hard-rock lithium mining in the DRC, and local communities appear to have low awareness of these potential negative impacts.
• The DRC's lithium sector involves potential politically exposed persons (PEPs) and opaque beneficial ownership, creating a risk that control of lithium supply could be consolidated among a small number of individuals.
• Many mining contracts and payments related to lithium production in the DRC are undisclosed or only partially disclosed, despite requirements under the Congolese mining code and EITI standards.
• AVZ Minerals Limited, which aims to begin production in 2023, has a 75 percent interest in the Manono Project and 100 percent in the Manono Extension project, with shareholders including Yibin Tianyi Lithium Industry Co Ltd and Huayou International Mining.
• Analysis of the DRC company registry revealed that a small number of people and companies were linked to at least 17 of the 51 sampled mining concessions, including Minister Guy Loando Mboyo and Cong Maohuai.
• Global Witness identified a discrepancy in 2019 payments for Dathcom Mining SA, where the company reported paying USD 118,460 while the state declared receiving USD 436,934.
• The report argues that the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas should be applied to the DRC's lithium sector to mitigate governance, human rights, and environmental risks.

APA

Global Witness (2022). A closer look at the DRC’s nascent lithium sector. https://globalwitness.org/documents/134/Renewable_energy_at_what_cost_EN_Janaury_2022.pdf

Chicago

Global Witness. A closer look at the DRC’s nascent lithium sector. 2022. https://globalwitness.org/documents/134/Renewable_energy_at_what_cost_EN_Janaury_2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=A closer look at the DRC’s nascent lithium sector |date=January 2022 |url=https://globalwitness.org/documents/134/Renewable_energy_at_what_cost_EN_Janaury_2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitness2022closer, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{A closer look at the DRC’s nascent lithium sector}}, institution = {Global Witness}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://globalwitness.org/documents/134/Renewable_energy_at_what_cost_EN_Janaury_2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }