Resource Matters Criticizes DRC Authorities Over Lack of Transparency in Lithium Mining Permits
In a white paper published in December 2025 on value creation in strategic minerals such as copper, cobalt, and lithium, the NGO Resource Matters highlights significant shortcomings in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) lithium permitting process.
The organization, which advocates for transparency and good governance in the extractive sector, points to a lack of rigor by Congolese authorities in granting exploitation permits for lithium, a critical mineral for the global energy transition.
According to Resource Matters, lithium permits are often awarded without competitive bidding and through ad hoc allocation procedures.
As an illustration, the NGO cites the case of Tantalex Lithium Resources, which holds an interest in Minicom Mining SAS, the company that controls the Manono tailings mining permit.
Resource Matters notes that Minicom Mining conducted a preliminary economic assessment in 2023 and entered into a supply agreement with Glencore despite not having completed either a feasibility study or an environmental and social impact assessment.
The NGO argues that entering into a supply agreement without a finalized feasibility study reflects a lack of seriousness and due diligence.
“The fact that Tantalex was still reporting in 2023 that these studies were ongoing, even though the operating permit was granted in 2017, raises serious concerns about the rigor and transparency of the permitting process, as well as the consistent application of technical, financial, and local value-addition criteria,” Resource Matters writes.
The organization emphasizes that this situation is not an isolated case, citing similar concerns in projects involving AVZ Minerals and Zijin Mining.
Resource Matters warns that, if current practices continue, the DRC risks failing to develop local lithium processing capacity. In that scenario, lithium could follow the same trajectory as copper and cobalt, where large-scale extraction has generated substantial export revenues but delivered limited industrial diversification and domestic value addition.
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