Seven years after the fire that destroyed Sonara, its CEO took the podium and solemnly announced to the world’s media that the company would be reborn on Monday, June 29, 2026. Many had expected at least a memorandum of understanding with a financial partner. Instead, the declaration came after a meeting convened by four ministers to assess the reconstruction cost and financing model, before even approaching potential partners on the market.
The chosen financing model is Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM), which covers the design, construction, funding, and maintenance of the infrastructure.
If, seven years after the Sonara fire, this is all that has been achieved, how much longer will it take to find a partner who, using typical Cameroonian methods, will sign an agreement and then turn to banks for funding? This pattern is already visible with mining partners, unlike what happens elsewhere.
The shadow of SNH and Nathalie Moudiki
Looking at the timing, this announcement comes just days after the Cameroonian business community, through its leader Célestin Tawamba, congratulated SNH on the new Kribi refinery under construction — a project brilliantly led by Nathalie Moudiki. The head of Gecam spoke to an international media outlet.
The stakes of appointments are therefore green
In reality, what happened yesterday was merely a communication intended to bluff the President of the Republic, precisely while he is in Switzerland reassessing the performance of those he appointed to assist him and serve the people.
In its statement, Sonara mentioned a hydrocracker unit that would refine Cameroonian oil — a project that was already underway before the fire and is already included in the Kribi refinery.
The sabotage of the Kribi refinery
“When you see whistleblowers lurking in the shadows attacking individuals involved in projects, think carefully.
Since yesterday, Boris Bertolt has been publishing incendiary posts against the SNH refinery project, with baseless claims aimed at tarnishing Nathalie Moudiki’s image. Why sabotage the Kribi refinery project on the very day Sonara makes its big announcement? Yet at SNH, they commend the work of this historic company, Sonara.
Regarding Sonara’s rehabilitation, in 2020 a high-level delegation from Russian giant Lukoil was received in Yaoundé to propose a reconstruction plan with more modern equipment. The government did not follow up favorably.
Regime insiders, who favor imports through traders, cite sovereignty reasons to justify rejecting potential partners. Yet Africa’s largest oil refinery, located in the continent’s second-largest oil producer, is privately owned. The Dangote refinery does not belong to the Nigerian state, yet it refines over 60% of the country’s crude.
Why is the SNH model (for gas) not applied to Sonara (for oil)?
The large Lobito refinery in Angola is being built by China, the Copperbelt refinery in Zambia is built by China. Uganda’s first oil refinery is being built by Russians, and another is planned in Congo.
Cameroonians, let us pray.
