(Business in Cameroon) – Gold mining in Cameroon has reached a new milestone with the construction of the country’s first underground mine by Codias SA. The nearly one-kilometer infrastructure has reportedly been built more than 100 meters below ground in Colomine, in the East region.
“It is the first underground mine in the country, and it is the first mine currently being operated in Cameroon. The other mines are still in the development or construction phase,” stated Serge Hervé Boyogueno, general manager of the National Mining Corporation, Sonamines. Boyogueno conducted an evaluation mission of the Colomine small-scale gold mine on May 15, 2025.
The head of the state-owned mining corporation expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure, noting its potential to mitigate environmental damage typically associated with mining operations.
“There is a significant gain in terms of the social and environmental impact of the project, compared to what has been done so far in Cameroon regarding gold mining,” said the Sonamines General Manager.
Reports indicate that during his Colomine site visit, Boyogueno also checked out the mine’s gold processing unit, with equipment currently in the testing phase. According to the project’s feasibility study, this unit is expected to produce 500 kilograms of gold annually with a 90% efficiency rate.
The Cameroonian government granted Codias SA the exploitation permit for the Colomine small-scale gold mine on September 14, 2022, for a period of five years. To operate this permit, the company established the Colomine Mining Corporation (Comincor SA), in which Sonamines holds a 10% stake, transferred free of charge, in accordance with the provisions of the Mining Code currently in effect in Cameroon.
Brice R. Mbodiam
