With the aid of a comprehensively labelled diagram of the $$Input$-$Transformation$-$Output$$ process, discuss the operations of a Cobalt refinery. In your discussion, highlight the importance of cobalt as a valuable metal, which is extensively used in a wide range of industrial and military applications and Africa $($i$.$e$.,$ Republic of the Congo$)$ as the leading producer of cobalt globally, the main transformed and transforming inputs, and the outputs of the transformation process. Please note that a generic discussion of the transformation process without relating it to the operations of a Cobalt refinery is not acceptable.