List of mines in Cameroon
The following list of mines in Cameroon is subsidiary to the lists of mines in Africa article and Lists of mines articles. This list contains working, defunct and future mines in the country and is organised by the primary mineral output(s) and province. For practical purposes stone, marble and other quarries may be included in this list. Operational mines are demarcated by bold typeface, future mines are demarcated in italics.
Cameroon has developed a reputation for failed mining projects, many of which never break ground and some of which are later revealed to have been outright scams.[1] Also, much of the mining is done through small-scale artisanal operations or semi-mechanized mining.[2][3] As such, the list of mines within the country may not fully reflect on-the-ground reality.
Bauxite
- Minim Martap mine (operations beginning in 2026)[4]
Diamond
- Mobilong diamond mine (never operational)[1][5]
Iron
- Mbalam mine (cross-border mining site with the Republic of the Congo; various abortive attempts since the 2000s, planned operations beginning in December 2025)[6][7][8]
- Nkout mine (exploratory work as of August 2025)[9]
References
- ^ a b c Freudenthal, Emmanuel (14 March 2016). "Virtual mining in Cameroon: How to make a fortune by failing". African Arguments. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ a b Mvondo, Michael; Njie, Paul (17 November 2025). Plight of Cameroon’s female gold miners. BBC News Africa. YouTube. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ Funoh, Kevin N. (2014). "3. Background". The Impacts of Artisanal Gold Mining on Local Livelihoods and the Environment in the Forested Areas of Cameroon. Center for International Forestry Research. pp. 7–10. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Home". Canyon Resources. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
Located in Cameroon, Minim Martap is one of the world's richest bauxite deposits. Canyon is developing Minim Martap as a long-life, global-scale project scheduled for first production in 1H 2026.
- ^ "Cameroon to launch first industrial diamond mine". The Mail & Guardian. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Cam Iron SA". Sundance Resources Limited. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
In 2005, Cam Iron was incorporated in the Republic of Cameroon for the purpose of developing the iron ore deposits in the Mbalam region
- ^ "Mbalam Iron Ore Project". Mining Technology. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Congo's Mbalam-Nabeba Mine to Start Production in December 2025". Energy Capital & Power. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ^ Enama, Baudouin; Nonos, Frédéric (26 August 2025). "Cameroon: Libyan Bank, Mukete's Firm Clash Over Iron Ore Deposits". Business in Cameroon. Retrieved 26 November 2025.