Cameroon’s Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINIMIDT), Emmanuel Bonde recently took a decision suspending the issuance, renewal and any transaction in operating activities of artisanal mining throughout the territory for six months.

This, Minister Bonde accused the producers for presenting false figures on the actual state of resources extracted in the goldfields. It was in this respect that the minister had to suspend mining in the Eastern Region of Cameroon and other parts of the country in general.

In Cameroon, artisanal mining takes place in the following regions : iron in Mbalam and Kribi, bauxite in Ngaoundal, Minim-martap , Lomié’s nickel-cobalt, titanium in Akono-linga, tin in Mayo Darla, uranium in Poli and Lolodorf as well as gold and diamond in the Eastern Region.

In summary, the following deposits are explored and developed: 3 Bauxite deposits (Ngaoundal, Minim-Martap, Fongo-Tongo), 2 Iron deposits (Mbalam in the east and Udders in Kribi) deposits of Nickel-Cobalt and Manganese (Lomié), Uranium (Poli and Lolodorf), Gold (Batouri, Bétaré-Oya, Bindiba), Diamond (Mobilong) and Tin (Mayo Darla).

With this potential, Cameroon can use it as a lift to sustainable development.