Cameroon reinstates legal order over strategic resources

Cameroon is sending a clear governance message: gold can no longer be exploited in a spontaneous manner, diverted outside the control system, and remain beyond legal accountability. In a notice issued in early February 2026, the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development of Cameroon announced that, from 20 February 2026, it will revoke semi-mechanized artisanal gold mining permits that fail to meet administrative and environmental requirements under the Mining Code of December 2023; non-compliant mining sites will be closed pursuant to Article 168(2).

This move follows the regulator’s requirement that enterprises fulfill obligations relating to operational documentation and site rehabilitation, indicating that Yaoundé has shifted from warning to law enforcement.

Tightening from licensing, extraction rights to gold purchasing rights

The core of this regulatory overhaul lies in Law No. 2023/014 dated 19 December 2023 - Cameroon’s new Mining Code. According to UNCTAD, this Code grants the National Mining Corporation SONAMINES exclusive rights to purchase and market gold and diamonds in Cameroon; at the same time, it provides that the State may hold up to 10% of the charter capital in small-scale and industrial mining enterprises under a free-carried interest mechanism and without dilution upon capital increases.

In parallel, a production-sharing mechanism between the State and investors is introduced, reflecting a trend toward strengthening Cameroon’s resource sovereignty across the entire mining value chain.

Beyond tightening ownership and commercial layers, Cameroon has also redesigned the licensing framework in a more stringent manner. According to the latest legal overview by Chambers and Partners, artisanal mining requires a miner’s card and a permit issued by the mayor upon approval from the competent mining authority; precious mineral collectors’ cards are issued by SONAMINES; while semi-mechanized artisanal mining must be authorized by the Ministry of Mines.

These extraction rights are generally of short duration, commonly two years, and are tied to obligations of periodic reporting on output, estimated market value, and labor employed; violations of reporting, safety, or environmental obligations may result in suspension or revocation. In other words, Cameroon is bringing gold mining activities back onto a disciplined track: rights are conditional upon authorization, and continued operation is contingent upon compliance with obligations.

A new focus in gold mining governance: environment, traceability, and national interest

According to Chambers, all mining exploration and extraction projects in Cameroon must undergo a national environmental approval process, centered on an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report, followed by inter-ministerial appraisal and certification by the Ministry of Environment through an Environmental Compliance Certificate.

The Mining Code also prohibits mining activities within 500 meters from the boundary of protected areas. For facilities posing high risks to health, safety, and the environment, authorities apply a separate licensing and monitoring regime. This demonstrates that gold in Cameroon is no longer merely a matter of resource extraction, but is now placed within a stringent legal framework for ecological protection and community safety.

At the same time, the new law requires the mining sector to generate more tangible value for the domestic economy. The Mining Code 2023 establishes a Mining Sector Development Fund, a Mine Rehabilitation, Restoration and Closure Fund, and a Special Account for Local Capacity Development. According to legal analysis by Pinsent Masons, the local capacity development fund alone is financed by contributions ranging from 0.5% to 1% of mining companies’ revenue; the law also requires that at least 95% of non-skilled jobs be allocated to Cameroonian nationals and gives preference to Cameroonian enterprises in subcontracting. This approach indicates that the State is not merely tightening restrictions to prohibit activities, but to ensure that mining serves fiscal interests, employment, and the country’s endogenous capacity.

Cameroon’s stricter stance is also driven by pressure for gold traceability. ISS Africa, citing EITI reports, notes that in 2023 Cameroon produced 953 kg of gold but officially exported only about 22 kg, while import data from the UAE reached approximately 15 tons.

This significant discrepancy is a serious indicator of commercial leakage, fiscal loss, and weakened state governance capacity. Therefore, tightening licensing, environmental controls, and assigning SONAMINES a central role in gold purchasing is, in substance, an effort to restore legal order in a sector that has long operated in a grey area. For Cameroon, the issue is no longer how much gold can be extracted, but how much gold the State can control and how much lawful benefit it can retain from it.