(Business in Cameroon) – Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute signed a decree on June 9, 2025, outlining the organization and functioning of a new Framework for Negotiating Mining Conventions. This body is specifically tasked with “ensuring the feasibility, viability, and profitability of mining projects,” according to Article 3 of the text, which Business in Cameroon reviewed.
The new regulatory mechanism, provided for in Article 40 of the Mining Code promulgated in December 2023, must also ensure that mining conventions comply with both the Mining Code and current legislation. It is also responsible for protecting the State’s economic and social interests and for negotiating favorable production-sharing rates for the State as permitted by law.
The Negotiation Framework operates under the National Mining Corporation (Sonamines), with its Director General serving as chair. The body is further tasked with ensuring the best possible employment conditions for nationals in mining projects, and including protective measures for state interests in the conventions. The Prime Minister’s decree also mandates the inclusion of hygiene, health, and environmental protection measures in these agreements.
In addition to its chair, the structure includes three members from the Ministry of Mines (the Director of Mines, the Director of Geology, and the Head of the Legal Affairs Division), two representatives from the Ministry of Finance, and representatives from the Ministries of Environment, Labor, and Employment. Each municipality where a mining project is located will also have a representative. Three representatives from Sonamines complete this list. Notably absent are civil society organizations, which have long advocated for greater consideration of state and local population interests in mining conventions.
The Framework for Negotiating Mining Conventions includes a technical secretariat and a pool of experts. Its operations are funded by the Sonamines budget.
Ludovic Amara
