Cameroon establishes Sonamines, a national mining company (Business in Cameroon) - Yesterday December 14, 2020, President Paul Biya signed a decree creating the National Mining Company (Sonamines). According to the presidential decree, Sonamines is a public company with the state as its sole shareholder. However, the decree states, " the shareholding of Sonamines may be open to other public or private entities." The capital and the conditions for participation in the shareholding of the public company will be set in the statuses. The decree explains that Sonamines' mission is to develop and promote the mining sector and to manage the State's interests in this field. Hydrocarbons (which fall under the jurisdiction of the National Hydrocarbon Company-SNH) and quarries (which are to be managed by the communes per the General Code of Decentralized Territorial Collectivities-CTD) are excluded from the scope of the new institution.