Cameroon has moved to safeguard the Kambélé gold mine, designating the site for artisanal mining by local residents only, a decision that has prompted threats of legal action from a private company claiming rights to the deposit.
On August 13, 2025, a ministerial decree from the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINMIDT) prohibited all exploration, industrial exploitation, and semi-mechanized mining activities at the Kambélé site near Batouri in the East region.
Previously covered by research permit No. 643, the area has now been returned to the free national mining domain under decree No. 000203/A/MINMIDT/SGDM/DAJ.
“Only artisanal mining activities in the strict sense, reserved for local residents, will be authorized there,” stated Minister Fuh Calixtus Gentry.
The ministry emphasized that no semi-mechanized artisanal permits have been issued for the Kadey-area site and cautioned against the involvement of expatriate partners, which it said contravenes presidential directives.
Local communities are encouraged to organise and access state support through the National Mining Company.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) dominates Cameroon’s mining sector.
The national mining code defines ASM to include both traditional gold panning and semi-mechanized operations. By reserving Kambélé for strictly local artisanal miners, the government aims to protect community livelihoods and limit foreign control over the site.
The decree, however, has drawn immediate opposition from Jam’s Avenir, which claims to hold the only active exploration permit on the site since August 2024.
The company says it invested hundreds of millions of CFA francs in preliminary studies and a draft agreement that is now jeopardized by the government’s decision. Jam’s Avenir has indicated its intention to pursue legal action to seek compensation from the Cameroonian state.
The dispute highlights the tension in Cameroon’s gold sector between protecting local communities and accommodating private investment. With the Kambélé site now off-limits to industrial operators, the government signals its commitment to artisanal mining, while raising questions about the future of private-sector exploration in the country.
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