Cameroon’s interim Mines Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry faced tough questions during a Yaoundé press conference after reports of massive gold smuggling.

The Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development denied any disappearance of gold from Cameroon’s state reserves during a July 15, 2026 briefing alongside Communication Minister René Emmanuel Sadi. The statement aimed to address growing concerns over a 2 trillion FCFA revenue shortfall in the mining sector.

Rather than outright embezzlement, authorities attribute the losses to systematic underreporting by private mining operators. Companies are allegedly declaring only a fraction of the gold actually extracted from Cameroonian soil.

Official records show a staggering discrepancy. While Cameroon reported exporting just 22 kg of gold in 2023, customs data from the United Arab Emirates documented 15 tons of Cameroonian gold entering the country. The National Mining Company (Sonamines) estimates that 44 tons of gold vanished from formal channels between 2021 and 2025.

In response, Minister Gentry announced immediate reforms including the deployment of joint inspection teams involving Sonamines, the General Tax Directorate and Customs. These teams will conduct on-site audits at production sites and introduce independent assessments of gold deposits to establish fair minimum taxation.

Lawyer Sikati’s explosive response

The government’s claims have drawn sharp criticism from Désiré Sikati, a leading figure in the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC). In a scathing statement, he questioned the minister’s credibility:

“CAMEROONIAN MINISTERS ARE TRUE MAGICIANS”

Cameroon’s Mines Minister is Fuh Calistus Gentry, appointed after the mysterious death of his predecessor Gabriel Dodo Ndoke. During yesterday’s press conference, the minister declared that “there has been no disappearance of gold belonging to the state.”

The gold smuggling scandal has dominated headlines both at home and abroad. Yet the minister didn’t deny the disappearance of gold—he merely claimed it wasn’t state property.

This raises a critical question: If the missing gold doesn’t belong to the state, who does it belong to? Cameroon’s Mining Code clearly states that all subsoil minerals, including gold, are state property. Either the minister is operating under a dangerous misinterpretation or he is serving interests beyond Cameroon’s borders.

Make no mistake—these officials are not here to serve Cameroon. They are here to serve themselves.

What’s next for Cameroon’s gold sector?

The government’s promised reforms represent a crucial test. Will the joint inspection teams uncover the full extent of the smuggling? Can independent audits restore transparency to a sector plagued by corruption? Most importantly, will Cameroonians see justice—or just more magical claims from their leaders?