The difficulties associated with mining in Cameroon are manifold. This is not only due to the impertinence or the insufficiency of texts, but also and especially due to deficits of integrity in the mining value chain in Cameroon. To attract investors in the mining sector, and promote the sustainable exploitation of mineral resources, the State of Cameroon has undertaken many efforts that have resulted in the creation of institutions such as CAPAM and the adoption of the mining code of 2016.The existing institutions and texts do not necessarily alleviate the controversy that this sector arouses in our country.
Write-ups abound, such as work of student researchers in the mining sector and the advocacy of civil society (in this case Transparency International, Foder and others) which denounce upstream, influence peddling, favoritism, fraud, corruption, etc. . Downstream, we find in the exploitation, the use of prohibited equipment, the non-recording of the quantities produced, the exploitation without authorization and the non-respect of the allocated spaces. Faced with all these difficulties, the list of which is not exhaustive, the Head of State signed on December 14, 2020, a decree creating the SONAMINES (National Mining Corporation) with mandate to henceforth manage the interests of the State in the mining sector. It is placed under the supervision of two ministries, in particular that of the Ministry of Mines which provides technical supervision and the Ministry of Finance which provides financial supervision. The advent of this decision raises questions: has the advocacy of civil society aroused an awakening of decision makers and the reaction of the Head of State? Does the creation of SONAMINES resolve the value crises within the mining sector in our country? What will change after this decree? Download and read more