Cameroon - Sud SOUTH: Operation Iron Mbalam soon railway 510 km...

Cameroon - Sud
SOUTH: Operation Iron Mbalam soon railway 510 km
29/01/2015

cameroun24.net - The workshop on national and international standards for compensation and resettlement of populations took place on January 27 at the Hotel Florence Ebolowa with officials of Cam- iron and the Cameroonian side governor of the southern region and his team.

For Jules Marcellin Ndjaga governor of the southern region, Cameroon has entered the era of great achievements. The construction of the railway to Lolabé Mbalam ore terminal at Kribi into this framework. In recent years, the government of Cameroon and its partners are working hard to make this concrete. It is in this sense that the regional commission has been established for the assessment of compensation. For the head of the region in question to determine the traced this railway will be 510 km long in establishing the technical details. In determining what traced, there will be an impact on the environment that is to say, the people and their goods, which will then require compensation.

So if all this does not guarantee the rights of people in the direction of justice, the project may be compromised. That is why it is important to learn what is to be done, and how it is done elsewhere where the theme of the workshop focused on national and international standards for compensation and resettlement of populations seems to be welcome.

It is an initiative of the company Cam- iron SA entering straight into the concerns and guarantees of the success of this project. Cameroon has a legislation, then it is just to see if it is consistent with the existing standards elsewhere. Tim Sewell director of the group, the project is in its implementation phase, and at this level requires the contribution of all stakeholders. During the technical presentation of the operating project Mbalam iron, he said that 35 million tons of iron per year and will be operated this for 25 years. This iron must be conveyed to the ore terminal will be built near Kribi to Lolabé precisely evacuation of the iron. For this purpose, 510 kilometers of track will be built with a 70 km connection with Congo. The agreements are signed government side and compliances as Congo side, confirming the government's option when the success of this major project. He realize that if all goes well, the first ton of iron will be transported via this route in 2019.


For the head of Cam- iron, it comes to define the targeted land, limited and evaluate set values included therein for a possibility of expropriation, relocation and compensation of the owners populations according to the law in force in Cameroon in comparison to what is happening elsewhere.


Relevant departments Dja and Lobo of 182 kilometers, the Mvila about 159 kilometers and the Ocean of 105 kilometers. Note that this corridor through forests, fallow land, some forest concessions, large industrial plantation and other developed and close to a hundred villages. The declaration of public utility covers a distance of 461 km and a width of 150 meters and an area of 4599 hectares. Implementation begins with the awareness of the population live on the public interest, to be succeeded by the phase of the delimitation, demarcation and the last phase will be that of finding and evaluation by committees with assistance Cam- iron. Philippa Spence for resettlement specialist, he relied on the Cameroonian legislation and international standards mainly those of the International Finance Corporation. Convergence points here are among others to include all those affected, that is to say all those with or without legal rights, traditional or customary, including newcomers. Also to compensate for the market value of all goods, that is to say market value plus the cost of the transaction. A specifically assist the vulnerable, and a clear deadline for eligibility to avoid speculation. In this implementation, the Government of Cameroon lead cadastral work, evaluation of property, and realizes the census. Cam- iron support the Government to implement the resettlement by international standards, through logistical and technical support. Iron cam- provide technical assistance and advice on the preparation of resettlement. Note that the Mbalam iron ore project is part of the structuring projects announced by Paul Biya of Cameroon to boost the economy and improve the living conditions of the population. This project is implemented by Cam- iron SA, a Cameroonian company whose 90% shares are held by Sundance Resources and 10% by Cameroonians shareholders. It has an operating license No. 92 covering an area of 783 square kilometers in the eastern region. Cam- iron deposit reveals a more than two hundred million tons of hematite, variety of high-grade iron and more than two billion tonnes of itabirite, another variety of iron. For Mbarga Kombo François Charles specialist Lands, it comes to bear in mind the well-being of people in this project. It is reassuring that they will not lose their standard of living, and do not also lose their daily resources. To this end, they will continue to live on their new spaces that will be allocated for resettlement. They are beneficiaries of the realization, and especially the development of their living environment. As a reminder, the exploration phase was completed in 2014, the construction began in 2015 and ended in 2018. The operation is scheduled to begin in 2019 and for at least 25 years.