I understand that the ML has been a topic of major discussion as...

I understand that the ML has been a topic of major discussion as of late - and rightly so. I would like to add my own thoughts on the matter:

I work in the approvals/project development/property management space at a coal mine in NSW. During my time in this role I am have seen three MLs and two ELs granted/approved by the Department. All approvals sought have taken at the earliest 11-12 months to finalise/validate, and this is in a significantly democratic country. These have not been major expansions in relation to the scale of the original project, however I just want to give an example of how long a tenement can take to process in a western nation! We are talking about the heart of Africa here. I naturally believe that it is in the best interests of the DRC government to grant AVZ and ML, however please note that the application is subject to major scrutiny, especially as a flagship operation for the country and given the size of the project, it is no wonder that the application is still in progress (albeit in its final stages). Regardless of the timeline given by AVZ management, please keep in mind the gargantuan nature of the tenement being applied for.