Cameroon's mines ministry identified nearly 200 illegal artisanal gold mining companies on Wednesday [1].
The crackdown signals an intensifying effort by the government to clean up the gold-mining sector and curb the influence of foreign-owned illegal operations. This move comes as the state seeks to secure its mineral wealth and ensure regulatory compliance in remote regions.
Officials focused their investigation on the central and eastern parts of the country, specifically targeting the East and Adamawa regions [1]. These areas have become hubs for artisanal mining, which often operates outside the legal framework of the state.
According to the ministry, more than 95% of these uncovered companies are foreign-owned [2]. This high proportion of international involvement has prompted a broader push to reclaim control over the nation's natural resources, a trend seen in several other resource-rich nations across the continent.
The government is currently working to dismantle these operations and bring the sector under formal oversight. The ministry said the initiative is part of a larger strategy to eliminate illicit mining activities that bypass national tax laws and environmental regulations.
While the specific number of arrests or seizures was not detailed, the discovery of nearly 200 companies [1] underscores the scale of the unregulated gold trade in the region. The government intends to continue the push against illegal foreign entities to ensure that the economic benefits of gold extraction remain within Cameroon.
“More than 95% of these uncovered companies are foreign-owned.”
This crackdown reflects a growing trend of resource nationalism in Africa, where governments are increasingly auditing mining concessions to reduce foreign dominance. By targeting foreign-owned artisanal mines, Cameroon is attempting to formalize its gold sector to increase state revenue and reduce the environmental degradation associated with unregulated mining.
