Nigel's comment was keeping the door ajar for further...

Nigel's comment was keeping the door ajar for further discussions if it helps the President. It won't be a negotiation with Zijin but could involve how AVZ can work with the DRC to come up with some sort of compensation for Zijin.

Lets get back on track: tomorrows virtual hearing by the ICSID tribunal will hopefully give us provisional measures to confirm or restore ownership of PR 13359 to Dathcom and direct the DRC to uphold the rule of law. The dispute with Zijin is basically all but over for them and they know this based on how the hearing went in Paris. I suspect the DRC are already aware of how this is going to play out for Zijin.

Zijin will not have any part of the Manono project. The ICC and ICSID rulings are going to to confirm this over the next month. For Zijin (Chinese) to have 15% ownership would essentially entitle them to a seat on the AVZ Board to help manage the development of Manono within the DRC.
This would ultimately be forced upon AVZ If this was to happen. The FIRB has already ruled this out, which is exactly why AVZ has had to pursue these legal cases. So what did Zijin do - go around the back door and arrange corrupt dealings with Cominiere. AVZ had no other option but to seek a ruling through the International Courts to confirm ownership. So to clarify AVZ will not be negotiating with Zijin in any direct capacity or to get any sort of a win win outcome in terms of Manono. There is no win outcome for Zijin.

To make matters worse for Tshisekedi he will be sweating on the ruling from the ICSID Tribunal hearing. The timing could not have been worse for him in the final hours before the election. It will be interesting to see how the Tribunal's decision is reported and subsequently used by his opponents to swing the voting power of the Congolese people.