Cameroun strengthens oversight of gold mining sector
The National Mining Corporation (Sonamines) is intensifying its pressure on gold operators in Cameroon. Following a control tour in the Adamaoua and East regions—the main hubs for artisanal and semi-mechanised gold production—Managing Director Serge Hervé Boyogueno delivered a blunt assessment. Several operators are failing to meet expected production thresholds, others are proven insolvent, while environmental shortcomings and opaque trade channels are undermining the state’s sovereignty over the sector.
Field inspections expose vulnerabilities in the gold industry
The visited regions concentrate most of Cameroon’s gold activity, dominated by semi-mechanised companies and a multitude of artisans. Sonamines’ mission aimed to verify that permit holders comply with their contractual and regulatory obligations. The findings, as outlined by its managing director, reveal a persistent gap between commitments made when titles were granted and the actual production reality on the ground.
A significant number of operators are not achieving the production levels specified in their specifications. This underperformance is compounded, for some, by proven insolvency towards the state and its agencies. On this point, the head of Sonamines explicitly refers the decision to the Ministry of Mines, the only body authorised to suspend or revoke permits. The state-owned company thus positions itself as the technical fact-finding body, leaving the political authority responsible for sanctions.
Insolvency, environment, and opaque trade: a triple challenge
Beyond purely financial matters, the mission documented worrying environmental deficiencies. Site rehabilitation, management of wastewater laden with mercury or cyanide, and securing extraction zones are all ongoing challenges. These failings expose local communities to major health risks and compromise the sustainability of an activity that carries increasing weight in the local economies of the East and Adamaoua regions.
The other front concerns marketing. A substantial portion of extracted gold bypasses official channels, feeding regional smuggling networks, depriving the public treasury of revenue, and preventing metal traceability. This opacity, long condemned by specialised organisations, contradicts Yaoundé’s stated goal of mineral sovereignty. Sonamines now aims to tighten the net by strengthening reporting requirements and approved collection points.
Towards a national strategic gold stockpile
The most ambitious goal championed by the management remains the creation of a national strategic stockpile. This objective, modelled on practices seen in several African central banks, seeks to provide Cameroon with a metal reserve that could underpin part of its monetary policy and serve as a cushion against external shocks. The logic aligns with that of other producing countries in the sub-region, eager to capture more value from their own resources.
However, the success of this strategy depends on Sonamines’ ability to channel a significant share of national production through its counters. This requires a prior cleanup of the operator landscape, competitive purchase prices compared to informal buyers, and close coordination with security forces and customs along border corridors. The expected decisions from the Ministry of Mines regarding non-compliant operators will be decisive in this regard.
The execution phase of Cameroon’s mining reform promises to be delicate. It pits the imperative of contractual discipline against the preservation of a sector that provides informal employment, and the desire to place gold within a framework of financial sovereignty. The precise timeline for ministerial decisions has not been announced, but the conclusions of the Sonamines mission are expected to inform the next directives. The managing director intends to continue inspections in other production areas.
