Bakouma
Encyclopedia
Bakouma is a sub-prefecture
in the prefecture
of Mbomou
in Central African Republic
. The area is known for its prosperity of mineral resources which have for a long time remained unexploited.
The Lengo Petroglyphs
are located near Bakouma.
In a uranium
survey in 1959-1961, phosphatic sediments were discovered near Bakouma. The phosphates are characterized by their high uranium content, which are the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Further feasibility studies showed that in the area, there are 41 million pounds of U3O8 with an average grade of 0.27% (which is almost 20 times higher than the resources in Trekkopje
, Namibia
). A large concentration of Cretaceous ferruginous limestones has also been found near Bakouma. .
However, commercial exploitation in the area never took off. The French Commissariat à l'énergie atomique
(CEA) studied the area. The same did Alusuisse in the 1970s, which only came to conduct small scale mining. The Japanese in the 1980s came to the conclusion that any large exploitation would not be commercially viable.
Due to the increasing world market price on uranium, combined with decreasing stocks, the area gained new interest in the mid-2000s. Australian company Paladin Energy
expressed its interest in the area, but it never took off. The same thing happened with the Chinese.
Finally, in May 2006, the South African company UraMin invested 90% in a Bakouma uranium project. The remaining 10% is held by the Government. A mining convention was signed, guaranteeing fixed taxes for 25 years. The project consists of ten separate areas of uranium mineralization and the consortium has applied for two additional licenses, which, if granted, would extend the project area to 2,900 square kilometres. A feasibility study that started in August 2006 has drilled some 9,400 meters and indicated that the resource is significantly deeper than previous studies have shown. The production is expected to ramp up from late 2009 and peak in 2010 at 3000 tonnes Per Annum.
. In is on the northern end of the Mbomou forest, which has an area of 10.000 km².
When it became clear that the Government was going to allow for a concession of uranium, many voices were heard, mainly from the opposition, claiming that uranium mining in other countries has created much harm to the environment and the population. The Government claimed that this was the words of evil tongues. It said that the bill on the regulation of exploitation of radioactive minerals, which passed the Parliament on August 30, 2006, would protect from any such damage.
UraMin has started to drain the marches on its site.
, the gendarmerie
, the customs
and the armed forces
. The customs was represented by Colonel Yvon Songue.
In March 2007, the UraMin site was inspected by the Director for the Ministry of Mining and Energy, Mr Guy Ngaïkomessé. Also present were the Regional Director for Mining, the Assistant Commander of the Mining Brigade, the Commander of the Mboumou Police Force as well as several police and gendarme officers. They found that the UraMin team consisted of six Tanzanians, two Europeans and one Cameroonian. The Tanzanians and the Cameroonian did not have visas for the country and were brought to Bangui for regularisation.
, Nzako, Irabanda in Haute-Kotto
for Bakouma. However, there has been reports that members of the Central African Government has arranged for transport of their own family members and own ethnic groups to Bakouma, to function as manpower in the mining project. This has led to irritation among Bakouma’s original citizens.
Prices on food items are said to have exploded since the international mining companies arrived. While the normal price on chicken is said to be 600 or 700 CFA franc, it is now negotiated at between 1500 and 2000 CFA franc. Fish and beef can hardly be found at all.
There is a small hydro-power plant on the left bank of Gboyo, which is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Bangassou. The water flows of the river allows electricity production 305 days per year. The electricity is used to feed the mission and its hospital.
There is an airstrip in Bakouma
, close to the uranium exploitation. But when UraMin arrived with its machinery in July 2006, the Antonov freighter had to land at Bangassou
, with a considerably longer runway.
Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic
The prefectures of the Central African Republic are divided into 71 sub-prefectures . The sub-prefectures are listed below, by prefecture.-Bamingui-Bangoran Prefecture:* Bamingui* Ndélé-Bangui Commune:* Bangui...
in the prefecture
Prefectures of the Central African Republic
There are also two economic prefectures:The national capital, Bangui, comprises a commune which lies outside the prefectures.The prefectures are further subdivided into seventy-one sub-prefectures.-Sources:*...
of Mbomou
Mbomou
Mbomou is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. It covers an area of 61,150 km² and has a population of 132,740 , giving a population density of only 2.2 inhabitants/km². The capital is Bangassou. Nearby are Kembe Falls on the River Kotto. The prefecture is governed by Mr....
in Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
. The area is known for its prosperity of mineral resources which have for a long time remained unexploited.
History
Bakouma was founded in September 1892 when the Belgians, led by Commander Balat and Captain Le Marinel set up a military post on the site. It became a part of the French Upper Oubangui in July 1894. Bakouma became a district under the French rule in 1944 and on 23 January 1961, the region eventually became a Sous-Préfecture in the Mboumo prefecture in the newly formed Central African Republic. .The Lengo Petroglyphs
Lengo Petroglyphs
The ancient rock art site of Lengo is located in the Bakouma region of the Central African Republic.- Site Description :The village of Lengo is on the road of Yalinga 3 km from Bakouma. The site of engravings is located on the right of this road, in 1 km east of the village...
are located near Bakouma.
In a uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
survey in 1959-1961, phosphatic sediments were discovered near Bakouma. The phosphates are characterized by their high uranium content, which are the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Further feasibility studies showed that in the area, there are 41 million pounds of U3O8 with an average grade of 0.27% (which is almost 20 times higher than the resources in Trekkopje
Trekkopje
Trekkopje is a settlement in Namibia, 45 kilometres north-east of Swakopmund on the road to Usakos. About 20 km to the north the Trekkopje uranium mine is under construction. It will be Southern Africa's largest uranium mine when it reaches full production capacity in 2013....
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
). A large concentration of Cretaceous ferruginous limestones has also been found near Bakouma. .
However, commercial exploitation in the area never took off. The French Commissariat à l'énergie atomique
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
The Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives or CEA, is a French “public establishment related to industrial and commercial activities” whose mission is to develop all applications of nuclear power, both civilian and military...
(CEA) studied the area. The same did Alusuisse in the 1970s, which only came to conduct small scale mining. The Japanese in the 1980s came to the conclusion that any large exploitation would not be commercially viable.
Due to the increasing world market price on uranium, combined with decreasing stocks, the area gained new interest in the mid-2000s. Australian company Paladin Energy
Paladin Energy
Paladin Energy Ltd., formerly Paladin Resources Limited is Australia's second biggest sole uranium mining company behind Energy Resources of Australia, which is majority owned by mining giant Rio Tinto. It is headquartered in Perth, Australia....
expressed its interest in the area, but it never took off. The same thing happened with the Chinese.
Finally, in May 2006, the South African company UraMin invested 90% in a Bakouma uranium project. The remaining 10% is held by the Government. A mining convention was signed, guaranteeing fixed taxes for 25 years. The project consists of ten separate areas of uranium mineralization and the consortium has applied for two additional licenses, which, if granted, would extend the project area to 2,900 square kilometres. A feasibility study that started in August 2006 has drilled some 9,400 meters and indicated that the resource is significantly deeper than previous studies have shown. The production is expected to ramp up from late 2009 and peak in 2010 at 3000 tonnes Per Annum.
Geography and climate
Bakouma is situated on the Gboyo RiverGboyo River
Gboyo is a river of the Central African Republic. It flows through the town of Bakouma.The Gboyo is a potentially excellent source for hydro electric power in Bakouma. The pico hydro power station is situated on the left bank of the river.- Sources :...
. In is on the northern end of the Mbomou forest, which has an area of 10.000 km².
When it became clear that the Government was going to allow for a concession of uranium, many voices were heard, mainly from the opposition, claiming that uranium mining in other countries has created much harm to the environment and the population. The Government claimed that this was the words of evil tongues. It said that the bill on the regulation of exploitation of radioactive minerals, which passed the Parliament on August 30, 2006, would protect from any such damage.
UraMin has started to drain the marches on its site.
Law and government
Although the Government has its representative in Bakouma, the presence of UraMin in the town has attracted visits of several high level Government officials. When UraMin arrived with their first equipment to Bangui, the unloading of the airplane was monitored by the Minister of Mining and Energy, Mr Sylvain Ndoutingaï. When the team later arrived in Bangassou with a second plane, the unloading was monitored by the prefect of Mboumou, Mr Remy Sem Ndouto, along with representatives of the policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, the gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
, the customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
and the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
. The customs was represented by Colonel Yvon Songue.
In March 2007, the UraMin site was inspected by the Director for the Ministry of Mining and Energy, Mr Guy Ngaïkomessé. Also present were the Regional Director for Mining, the Assistant Commander of the Mining Brigade, the Commander of the Mboumou Police Force as well as several police and gendarme officers. They found that the UraMin team consisted of six Tanzanians, two Europeans and one Cameroonian. The Tanzanians and the Cameroonian did not have visas for the country and were brought to Bangui for regularisation.
Economy
3000 people are expected to be employed by UraMin and the Government has predicted a boom for the whole region. Numerous young men have left BangassouBangassou
Bangassou is a city in the south eastern Central African Republic, lying on the north bank of the Mbomou River. It has a population of 24,447 and is the capital of the Mbomou prefecture. It is known for its wildlife and its market and is linked by ferry to the Democratic Republic of Congo on the...
, Nzako, Irabanda in Haute-Kotto
Haute-Kotto
Haute-Kotto is one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. Its capital is Bria. It is the largest prefecture in the Central African Republic....
for Bakouma. However, there has been reports that members of the Central African Government has arranged for transport of their own family members and own ethnic groups to Bakouma, to function as manpower in the mining project. This has led to irritation among Bakouma’s original citizens.
Prices on food items are said to have exploded since the international mining companies arrived. While the normal price on chicken is said to be 600 or 700 CFA franc, it is now negotiated at between 1500 and 2000 CFA franc. Fish and beef can hardly be found at all.
There is a small hydro-power plant on the left bank of Gboyo, which is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Bangassou. The water flows of the river allows electricity production 305 days per year. The electricity is used to feed the mission and its hospital.
Transport
Bakouma is located about 870 km from Bangui. UraMin, which has its site 7 km outside of Bakouma has invested 0.5 million to upgrade road access, but it is unknown what other roads in the area will be upgraded. The Catholic Diocese of Bangassou has recently upgraded 19 bridges between Bakouma and Nzako.There is an airstrip in Bakouma
Bakouma Airport
Bakouma Airport is an airport in Bakouma, Central African Republic....
, close to the uranium exploitation. But when UraMin arrived with its machinery in July 2006, the Antonov freighter had to land at Bangassou
Bangassou Airport
Bangassou Airport is an airport in Bangassou, Central African Republic....
, with a considerably longer runway.