Cameroon is under increased scrutiny from its European partners due to the registration of 37 tankers linked to the Russian maritime registry under its flag. This situation, which has intensified since the end of 2025 with a peak in January and February 2026, raises questions about the rigor of the controls carried out by the Cameroonian maritime administration.
European observers fear that the Cameroonian registry may be used to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russian hydrocarbon exports. The registrations are mainly concentrated in three maritime areas: Kribi (15 ships), Limbe (13 ships) and Douala (9 ships), giving the problem a national dimension. Among the registered ships, 27.8% are linked to the Russian registry, and they represent 67.6% of crude oil carriers under the Cameroonian flag. These figures are considered unusual and raise the question of the role of the Cameroonian maritime registry in controlling international energy flows.
A majority of these tankers previously flew the flags of countries known for their flexible procedures, such as Gambia, Palau and the Comoros. The opacity of certain operators is also worrying, with 35 different operators identified for 37 ships, which may indicate difficult-to-trace structures. Faced with these elements, several European countries formally questioned the Cameroonian government in February 2026. The European Union seeks to reduce Moscow's energy revenues by targeting the marketing channels for Russian oil, and the flags granted by third countries are closely monitored.
Brussels is considering conditioning certain funding on a reform of the procedures for assigning the Cameroonian flag. For Cameroon, the challenge is to preserve its credibility, the quality of its relations with its partners and its image as a reliable maritime location. A registry perceived as lax could lead to significant economic and diplomatic costs. The Cameroonian authorities cite a lack of resources to verify the history of shipowners and ensure the monitoring of ships, while affirming that a text modernizing the maritime sector is in preparation.
The Cameroonian government has opened a diplomatically sensitive case regarding the registration of ships suspected of belonging to the Russian "ghost fleet". A meeting was held on February 6, 2026, in Yaoundé, under the direction of Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, to examine this issue. The Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, mentioned a possible cyber fraud, reporting fraudulent registrations carried out via unauthorized applications. Cameroon is thus faced with a strategic choice: strengthen controls to guarantee the credibility of its maritime registry or risk being perceived as a gateway for illicit trafficking.
