CAMEROON Law and Practice Contributed by: Lynda Amadagana, Elise Ngo Nyobe, Cecile Bella and Kevin Djomgoue, Amadagana & Partners
1. Mining Law: General Framework 1.1 Main Features of the Mining Industry The mining industry in Cameroon is rich and diversified. Indeed, the Cameroonian territory abounds in a diversity of exploitable and market - able mineral substances such as iron, manga - nese, rock titanium, chromium, vanadium, cop - per, lead, zinc, cadmium, germanium, iridium, selenium, tellurium and molybdenum. It also has an abundance of tin, tungsten, nickel, cobalt, platinoids gold, silver, magnesium antimony, barium, boron, fluorine, sulphur, arsenic, bis - muth, strontium, mercury, titanium, zirconium in sand, rare earths, coal and other fossil fuels, ura - nium and other retroactive elements, phosphate, bauxite, sodium and potassium salts, alum, sul - phates other than alkaline earth sulphates. Addi - tionally, it has minerals mined for industrial uses including marble, limestone and any industrial or ornamental rock, chalcedony and opal, ruby, sapphire, emerald, garnet, beryl, topaz and any other semi-precious stones and diamond. The mining industry in Cameroon is still under - exploited, despite the will of the government to make Cameroon one of the key mining coun - tries in Africa through the production, trans - formation and commercialisation of its mining resources for the socio-economic development of the country. Indeed, a small percentage of the mineral substances in its territory are exploited through artisanal mining. However, no industrial mining project is in operation. The mining industry in Cameroon is mainly oper - ated by individuals for artisanal mining and junior companies for industrial mining. However, the State also participates through SONAMINES, which is the public company in charge of the State’s interests in the share capital of mining companies.
The mining industry in Cameroon is attractive. The Mining Code, for example, establishes a system of fiscal and customs incentives for investors in both the exploration and exploitation phases of their mining projects. The mining industry in Cameroon is constantly developing and evolving with different actors, notably the government, Parliament, mining companies, civil society and mining craftsmen taking part. 1.2 Legal System and Sources of Mining Law The Cameroonian legal system is based on civil and common law. Mining legislation in Came - roon (mainly Law No 2023/014 of 19 December 2023 (the “Mining Code”)) is inspired by several sources, namely: • international standards of extractive govern - ance; • the Extractive Industries Transparency Initia - tive (EITI) Standard (the “EITI Standard”); • the Kimberley Process; • general African Union mining policies; • the Dodd–Frank Act; and • the principles of sustainable development and good practice recommended in the min - ing sector by the World Bank in its Extractive Industries Good Practice Guidance. The EITI Standard is an international standard that aims at transparency for oil, gas and mining resources in different countries. The Kimberley Process is an international rough diamond certification scheme that brings gov - ernments, civil society and the diamond industry together to prevent the purchase of diamonds on the world market by rebel movements to finance their military activities.
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