George Mbella
19 June 2011
A special unit of the gendarmerie arrived at the gold mines of Bétaré Oya on Thursday to start the two-week exercise.
The programme to channel most of Cameroon’s gold production into formal economic circuits for the benefit of the economy, “Operation Gold” entered a practical phase with the launch of a pilot test on Thursday June 16 in Bétaré Oya, East Region.
Led by the Small Scale Mining Support and Promotion Framework Unit, CAPAM, the launch of the two-week exercise saw the arrival of a special unit of gendarme officers whose role would be to ensure that at least 70 per cent of the 179 kilogrammes of gold produced monthly from gold mines is channelled into strengthening Cameroon’s gold reserves at the Central Bank, BEAC. This is with view of providing alternative sources of funding the economy.
“This special unit of the gendarmerie is made up of 10 officers and 12 sub-officers who will acquire necessary experience for two weeks that will enable them work within security committees set up on every gold mining site in ten sub-divisions spread out in the East, North, Adamawa and Centre Regions,” said CAPAM’s Coordinator, Paul Ntep Gweth while presenting the elements of the unit to Sub-Divisional Officer of Bétaré Oya, Simon Etsil on Thursday June 16. Their role, he added, is to halt the flow of gold from small scale miners to clandestine gold buyers and traffickers as well as ensuring transparency in the weighing and registration of quantities produced.
A visit to the mining sites of Bétaré Oya, Colomine, Béké, amongst others, revealed activities by artisan miners grouped in common initiative groups called Gicamines. They coexist peacefully with mining companies using advanced mechanised methods under the leadership of expatriates. The mining companies and Gicamines met separately on Saturday June 18 2011 in Bétaré Oya with CAPAM officials to receive copies of the new harmonised contract based on promoting the advanced mechanisation of small scale mining and on the principle of production sharing. “This new contract that goes into effect on July 1 2011, provides for a win-win partnership, ensures transparency and promotes the development of the areas and communities where gold mines are located,” they were told. In this regard, production enterprises will be created to promote socio-economic development.
CAPAM officials say if “Operation Gold” succeeds, more than FCFA 1,000 billion could be generated before 2016 with the State of Cameroon gaining at least FCFA 200 billion to finance some development projects outlined in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, GESP.
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