The Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, has ordered an investigation into a possible gold looting scandal involving senior officials. This initiative follows the discovery of a significant discrepancy between officially declared quantities of gold and those allegedly exported, raising serious questions about the management of the country's mineral resources.
On February 28, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh instructed the Secretary of State for Defense to coordinate investigations into a large quantity of gold leaving Cameroon. According to some sources, around 15 tonnes of gold were exported, while official figures from the Ministry of Mines and the Société Nationale des Mines (Sonamines) report only 22 kg. This considerable difference fuels suspicions of large-scale looting.
Alain Michel Njilo, a journalist, welcomed the intervention of Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, stressing the need to shed light on this case. He recalled that the latter had already distinguished himself by strong decisions in the mining sector, particularly in the Mbalam-Nabeba iron ore deposit affair in 2022. Other sources indicate that in 2023, Cameroon officially exported 22.3 kg of gold to the United Arab Emirates, while the latter claim to have purchased 15.2 tonnes of gold of Cameroonian origin.
The situation highlights a potential plundering of Cameroon's natural resources, with estimates valuing the 15 tonnes of gold at over 900 billion FCFA for the Saudi Arabia export route alone. In 2013, the Minister of Mines allegedly even ordered that a gold trafficker leaving the country fraudulently be allowed to pass, after the seizure of 25 kg of gold by the police and customs.
In the face of this scandal, a joint commission of inquiry has been set up to establish the responsibilities of the various actors involved in the illegal gold trade. This commission will have to carry out in-depth investigations to identify the networks and people involved in the clandestine exploitation and marketing of gold. The investigation report will then be sent to the Presidency of the Republic. Artisanal gold production is an important activity in Cameroon, directly employing 27,000 people at 1,807 sites.
