The Lobé-Kribi Iron Ore Project in Cameroon is a large-scale mining initiative designed to exploit a major iron ore deposit. Led by Sinosteel Cam S.A., a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned Sinosteel Corporation Ltd, the project encompasses extensive infrastructure developments, including a mine, processing facilities, transport networks, and a mineral terminal. Once fully operational, it aims to extract 10 million tons of ore per year.
A mid-February report by the local NGO Youth for Promotion of Development (YPD) warned that the project poses serious social and environmental risks, threatening the health, livelihoods, and cultural heritage of communities in the Lobé-Kribi region.
Although construction is still in its early stages, Sinosteel CAM S.A has already begun infrastructure installation operations, with large-scale production scheduled for mid-2025. Given the scale of the development – including a 17-kilometer network of access roads linking the mine to the Deepwater Port of Kribi – the project’s considerable impact comes as little surprise.
A consultation mechanism with local communities, though framed as an exercise in transparency, was riddled with flaws. Key information was withheld, independent experts were excluded, and local community concerns were disregarded. Rather than a genuine dialogue, it functioned as a superficial exercise to legitimize a project that had already been decided. Lacking sincerity and respect for those affected, it ultimately served as a facade for an opaque decision-making process where dissenting voices were systematically ignored.
“We weren’t even consulted, we weren’t able to say what we thought. We were just presented with a fait accompli,” said Vip Ivaha Theodore from the village of Lolabé. “That’s not development. It’s theft, pure and simple.”
Community leaders who have expressed their disagreement have received threats, and a politically influential leader has imposed a silencing order, forbidding villagers from speaking about the project.
Neither Sinosteel nor Cameroon’s government has commented on the procedures adopted to consult with the impacted communities or to inform them of the measures taken to mitigate environmental and health risks.
The engine park of the Lobé industrial mine. Photo courtesy of YPD.
The study carried out by YPD outlined serious environmental risks associated with the project. Mining runoff and leachates may contaminate the Lobé and Likodo rivers, the ocean, and Manyange na Elombo Campo Marine Park. A site visit confirmed early signs of water quality deterioration, even before mining operations began.
Air quality will also be impacted. Major sources of pollution include nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Sulfur dioxide reacts with atmospheric water, leading to acid rain, which can harm local ecosystems and human health.
The project threatens tropical forests, wetlands, and endemic species, particularly in Campo Ma’an National Park and Manyangué na Elombo Campo Marine Park, home to a unique turtle species found nowhere else in the world. Increased deforestation is expected to cause habitat fragmentation and displace wildlife. Already, deforestation and noise pollution have led to increased interactions between wildlife (elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees) and humans, particularly affecting agricultural lands near Campo Ma’an National Park.
