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.
The social impacts are also enormous. The entire village of Lolabé will need to be displaced due to the construction of the mineral terminal. Sacred and historical sites in Ebodjé, Malaba, and Mbendji are at risk of destruction.
Even before full-scale operations begin, deforestation has already reduced local incomes by depleting non-timber forest products and displacing wildlife crucial for hunting. Future economic inequalities and demographic shifts due to the influx of migrant workers may lead to rising social tensions and crime rates. Already, the project is deepening tensions between local people and elites.
“It is unacceptable that this iron mining project, located on our land in Campo, is systematically referred to as ‘Lobé-Kribi.’ It is an appropriation of our resources, as was done with the Memve’ele dam, and many other structuring projects that naturally belonged to Campo. It is a negation of our identity,” said Mete Dieudonné, chief of the village of Malaba.
“The political influence of the Kribi 1 [municipality] elite is obvious; they are monopolizing the potential benefits of this project, while it is our communities that will suffer the environmental and social consequences,” he continued.
“This project should be called Campo, not Kribi, because it is here, in Campo, that the deposit is located, and it is we, the people of Campo, who should be the primary beneficiaries of its development.”
An interview with community and traditional leaders of Malaba. Photo courtesy of YPD.
Reactions to the project vary among the affected communities. While some demand its complete halt and dismantling, others believe the company should compensate locals by addressing critical gaps in social infrastructure, as many villages still lack electricity, clean drinking water, and healthcare services. Some also advocate for prioritizing local labor in future mining activities – provided the project genuinely respects their environment, rights, and needs. However, skepticism remains, as past projects by Chinese companies in Cameroon, including those in mining and road construction, have often failed to deliver on such promises, leaving communities with little to no real benefits.
All members of the community agree on the need for greater transparency and better sharing of information concerning the concrete developments of the project, the impacts, and the planned mitigation measures. They also want to know the real commitments provided for in the mining agreement granted by the president of the Republic of Cameroon (Appendix 2), which refers to the social development program, and the content of the environmental and social impact study and the accompanying measures.
As the main stakeholders, locals insist on being consulted on decisions affecting their land and their environment. A call for independent monitoring to control the environmental and social consequences is also widely shared.
“As a woman and the leader of a development organization committed to the well-being of our communities, I am deeply concerned about the iron mining project,” said Maman Chantaline, leader of the local development organization AFEDYMID (Association Femmes Dynamiques de Malaba, Itondé et Doum-Essamendjang).
“We are not against economic development, but it must be done in a responsible and sustainable manner.”
The people of Lolabé village, which will be home to the ore terminal, are demanding fair compensation and resettlement plans that respect their rights and livelihoods. This community is already threatened by the work on the PAK Deepwater Port in Kribi, and locals say they are frustrated once again by the iron mining project, which is following in the same footsteps as the port project in terms of failure to respect their rights.
“We were promised jobs, schools, hospitals and roads as part of the Kribi Deepwater Port (PAK) project… But we haven’t seen any of it so far,” said Theodore from Lolabé. “They came again with a project for the industrial exploitation of iron ore, which will deprive us of our land and everything it provides for our livelihood, which will pollute our rivers, and make our health forever vulnerable. Now we are even poorer than before.”
The mine construction site in Lobé. Photo courtesy of YPD.
There has been strong local opposition, with petitions and complaints led by community leaders such as Njokou Djongo, chief of the village of Ebodjé and Mouendji Pierre Elie, chief of the village of Mbendji, who is also the current president of the Council of Campo Chiefs. They cite concerns about the loss of biodiversity, health risks, land dispossession, and cultural destruction. Locals also accuse the political elite of Kribi 1 of influence peddling, grabbing projects for themselves to the detriment of Campo.
Despite this, government officials have largely dismissed these real concerns faced by the people of Campo district, and there are reports of intimidation against vocal critics.
The chief of the village of Ebodjé has received warnings from government officials for opposing the project. Meanwhile, in Doum-Essamendjang, villagers are muzzled from speaking out about the project due to political pressure.
The Lobé-Kribi Iron Ore Project represents a significant economic opportunity for Cameroon but also presents severe socioeconomic and environmental risks, as highlighted in YPD’s report. The most recent findings indicate worsening environmental degradation, escalating social tensions, and inadequate government response to community grievances.
Addressing these concerns through improved stakeholder engagement, independent monitoring, and sustainable development strategies is crucial for mitigating negative impacts and ensuring a more just and inclusive approach to resource exploitation.