The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Mining Company (Sonamines) and the China Railway No.5 Engineering Group (CREC 5) lasted only three days.Signed on Friday, February 18, the memorandum of understanding, aimed at the exploitation of the bauxite deposits of Ngaoundal and Makan in Adamaoua, has just been canceled by the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, the technical supervision of Sonamines.
The Minmidt, **riel Dodo Ndoke (photo), accuses this MoU of violating the mining legislation in termsof "attribution of mining titles, conclusion and signing of contracts, pre-contracts, conventions and other agreements relating to the administration and management of the mineral resources of the Cameroonian subsoil, exclusive prerogatives of the State".The says no more.It just specifies that the cancellation decision is effective immediately.
At the conclusion of this MoU, the general manager of Sonamines, Serge Boyogueno, indicated that he hadrequested, since November 2021, the two exploration permits for theNgaoundal and Makan sites.He nevertheless refrained from advancing on the fate reserved for this request.
According to the CEO of Sonamines, this MoU should lead to the establishment of a consortium with Chinese state companies with skills in the mining, industrial and commercial field;completion of the research work with the production of a bankable feasibility study and an environmental impact study;bauxite mining;the construction of a refinery for the transformation of bauxite into alumina;the construction of a factory for the transformation of alumina into aluminium;and finally the construction of a plant for the transformation of aluminum into by-products (sheets, alucobonds, electric cables, etc.).
“After this MoU, the binding agreements will follow, the last step before the actual start of work on the ground.All of this is obviously conditioned by obtaining all the related titles”,indicated Serge Hervé Boyogueno.
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