Nearly 200 illegal gold mining firms uncovered in Cameroon

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YAOUNDÉ — Nearly 200 illegal artisanal gold mining companies, most of them foreign-owned, have been uncovered in central and eastern Cameroon, the mines ministry said Wednesday.

An investigation into the gold sector was launched in January after a large gap emerged between Cameroon's official gold exports and the much higher import figures reported by other countries, particularly the UAE.

"About 200 illegal companies have been identified in the east and Adamawa regions, more than 95 percent of them foreign firms," the ministry said in a statement.

According to a list published by the ministry, many of the companies are run by Chinese nationals.

Authorities have called on the firms to "immediately halt mining activities", but did not mention any possible sanctions or legal action.

A 2023 report published last December by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) showed major discrepancies in official figures.

Cameroon reported producing 953 kilograms of gold that year, with just 22.3kg officially exported.

But importing countries reported receiving 15.2 tonnes (15,200kg), nearly 680 times more.

"This suggests a large share of gold, especially artisanal mining, bypasses official channels and is diverted into informal networks or smuggled," said researcher Aicha Pemboura in a March report on organised crime in central Africa.

Despite a new mining code adopted in 2023, she said corruption and the influence of powerful elites still limit enforcement.