Akere Muna: Demands Glencore Bolongo Contract Transparency in Cameroon

• Akere Muna, a prominent anti-corruption lawyer, demanded transparency from Cameroonian authorities regarding the Bolongo oil block contract.
• He questioned the "highly irregular" attribution of the Bolongo block to Octavia Energy, seeking clarity on Glencore's residual interests.
• Muna highlighted Glencore's past admissions of corruption in US and UK courts, linking it to governance concerns over the new contract.
• The Production Sharing Contract for the 381.56 km² Bolongo maritime block in the Rio del Rey basin was signed on August 14, 2026, with Octavia Energy Cameroon SARL.
• Muna emphasized that managing national oil resources requires total transparency to combat impunity.

The former bâtonnier emphasized that the responsible management of national petroleum resources necessitates absolute transparency, arguing that the fight against impunity cannot proceed without full disclosure regarding the attribution of the Bolongo block and any prior interests attached to it.

On August 30, 2026, prominent lawyer and anti-corruption advocate Me Akere Muna publicly challenged Cameroonian authorities regarding the allocation of the Bolongo oil block to Octavia Energy. His declaration specifically sought clarity on the fate of Glencore's residual interests within this significant asset. Muna characterized the signing of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for the Bolongo block with Octavia Energy as "highly irregular," asserting that any review of this transaction must account for the asset's historical role as a key operational base for Glencore's extraction activities in Cameroon.

The contested Production Sharing Contract (Contrat de Partage de Production Bolongo) was formally executed on Friday, August 14, 2026, between the Government of Cameroon and Octavia Energy Cameroon SARL in Yaoundé. This agreement pertains to the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons within the Bolongo block, an offshore area spanning 381.56 square kilometers located in the Rio del Rey basin. The terms of the contract stipulate a minimum work program for exploration, to be completed over a maximum duration of seven years. This development signals increased scrutiny and potential legal challenges regarding transparency and governance in Cameroon's energy sector.

Me Akere Muna's intervention is rooted in a broader concern for oil contract governance and accountability, particularly given the asset's past associations. He explicitly referenced the corruption cases involving Glencore, the Swiss commodities giant, which has admitted to corrupt practices before both American and British judiciaries. For Muna, the new agreement for the Cameroun exploration pétrolière Bolongo raises significant governance questions that demand public answers from the authorities.

A central point of his inquiry revolves around the precise legal and financial mechanisms by which Glencore's residual interests in the Bolongo oil block were managed—whether they were liquidated, transferred, or extinguished. Furthermore, he questioned whether there might be any connection between this recent transaction and efforts to recover public funds linked to the aforementioned corruption scandal involving Glencore. The former bâtonnier emphasized that the responsible management of national petroleum resources necessitates absolute transparency, arguing that the fight against impunity cannot proceed without full disclosure regarding the attribution of the Bolongo block and any prior interests attached to it.

The call for transparency by Me Akere Muna underscores a critical juncture for Cameroon's energy sector, highlighting the ongoing challenges in ensuring ethical and accountable resource management. His demands for clarity on the Akere Muna Glencore Bolongo contract transparency and the fate of Glencore's interests serve as a potent reminder of the need for rigorous oversight in high-value resource agreements. Lawyers advising on oil and gas contracts or M&A in the region should conduct enhanced due diligence on asset histories and residual interests, especially concerning entities with past corruption allegations, to mitigate compliance and reputational risks.

This public challenge to the government's handling of the Bolongo PSC reinforces the broader imperative for robust Akere Muna oil contract governance. It suggests that past allegations of Glencore corruption Cameroon oil block dealings continue to cast a long shadow, necessitating a proactive approach to transparency and accountability in all new agreements. The insistence on public explanations for the attribution process and the resolution of historical interests is crucial for building trust and ensuring that national resources are managed for the benefit of all citizens, free from the taint of impropriety.

This development signals increased scrutiny and potential legal challenges regarding transparency and governance in Cameroon's energy sector. Lawyers advising on oil and gas contracts or M&A in the region should conduct enhanced due diligence on asset histories and residual interests, especially concerning entities with past corruption allegations, to mitigate compliance and reputational risks.

Source: Original reporting via Actu Cameroun.