EITI & Mining governance in Cameroon

Figuil populations wallowing in poverty amidst plenty

According to a study done by the Network for the Fight Against Hunger, RELUFA and the Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, the populations of Figuil near Garoua in the North Region of Cameroon are wallowing in abject poverty despite the wanton exploitation of minerals from their sub-soil by two French companies – CIMENCAM and ROCAGLIA.
    Officials of RELUFA presented the study to the public for validation at a richly attended ceremony on 29 August 2014 in Yaounde.
    In his preliminary remarks on the occasion, the project coordinator of RELUFA, Napoleon Jaff noted that the exploitation by ROCAGLIA (since 1946) and CIMENCAM (since 1960) are the only effective industrial mineral exploitations going on in Cameroon at the moment. “The C & K mining in Mobilong is only recent and is yet to produce its full potential,” he said, noting that despite legal provisions especially the mining code and EITI requirements which provide for advantages (profits) and compensation to populations and councils that are affected by mining projects, no such benefits are paid to the populations of Figuil by these French companies.

        He added that even when some compensation is given especially in the form of sub national payments and transfers they are not effectively monitored, due to inadequate legislative, institutional and operational frameworks.
    That was probably the reason why despite the existence of other forms of compensation RELUFA dwelled their study essentially on sub-national payments and transfers because “these are a direct type of community compensation governed by legislations regulating the mining sector, local taxation, environmental evaluation, contractual terms and voluntary corporate commitments,” noted Michel Bisil, RELUFA’s focal point for extractive industries sector in his overview of the study.
    With the objective to demonstrate the importance of the effectiveness of sub-national transfers and the necessity of monitoring social spending by multi-stakeholder groups (or EITI committee) in Cameroon, the study pointed out various weaknesses in the implementation of sub-national transfers including inadequate compensation due to non-publication of contractual clauses, poor monitoring of payments due to inappropriate and inadequate legal, institutional and operational frameworks and low level of council and community participation in contractual processes, apart from non-existence of state supervision etc.
    With these observed weaknesses, the study recommended that for Cameroon to be worthy of the status of an EITI compliant nation, she must engage in meaningful reforms to meet the new EITI requirements.
    It also suggested that mining companies should respect the principles of environmental evaluation and negotiate community development agreements with councils and local communities amongst other things.
    Other recommendations were made to civil society organizations and locally elected officials.
      Contributions during the restitution ceremony were also entertained from the general public. Some of the suggestions and recommendations would be taken into consideration by the authors of the study by the time the final copy is printed, RELUFA authorities assured.
      Also present among the many participants at the validation ceremony was the permanent secretary of the EITI Cameroon secretariat.