Cameroon launches major offensive against illegal gold trade

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, a crucial working session was convened at the Ministry of Commerce’s conference hall. The primary focus of this significant gathering was the comprehensive restructuring of Cameroon’s gold sector and the imperative to strengthen gold traceability across the nation.

The deliberations were led by Professor Fuh Calistus Gentry, the acting Minister of Mines, Industry, and Technological Development (MINMIDT). A host of senior administrative figures participated, including the Director General of Customs, the Director General of Taxes, the Director General of the Treasury, the Director General of SONAMINES, the Permanent Secretary of the SNPPK, and various other key officials from MINMIDT.

Judicial and Economic Offensive

At the heart of the discussions lay the critical need to enhance gold traceability, reorganize the entire gold value chain, and improve inter-agency coordination among the different government entities involved in managing this vital sector. Participants highlighted that this concerted consultation marks a pivotal step towards reinforced collaboration between institutions. The ultimate goals are to significantly boost the collection of fiscal revenues, effectively dismantle informal gold trafficking networks, and increase the state’s earnings derived from gold exploitation.

This timely meeting underscores the Cameroonian authorities’ escalating efforts to better regulate the extraction of mineral resources and ensure more transparent governance within the gold sector. In response to the extensive and illicit exploitation of its gold resources, the Cameroonian government has decisively launched a broad judicial and economic offensive aimed at sanitizing its gold industry.

Billions in Lost Revenue

This robust governmental action follows alarming disclosures by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (ITIE). Their findings unveiled a colossal discrepancy: while Cameroon’s customs reported a mere 22 kilograms of gold exports, a staggering volume exceeding 15 tonnes of gold originating from Cameroon was declared upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates. This massive gold trafficking has led to an estimated direct financial loss of over 2,000 billion FCFA for the country over a five-year period, including 165 billion FCFA in direct fiscal revenue shortfalls.