Seven years since the devastating blaze that ravaged Sonara, the managing director stepped before the world’s media on Monday, 29 June 2026, to solemnly announce the company’s rebirth. Observers, however, expected at least a memorandum of understanding with a financial partner. Instead, the declaration came after a meeting of four ministers who assessed reconstruction costs and financing options — even before any effort to approach potential partners on the market.
Here is the analysis:
The chosen financing model is Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM), which covers design, construction, financing and maintenance of the facilities.
If seven years after the Sonara fire we are still at this stage, how long will it take to find a partner who, using typical Cameroonian methods, will sign an agreement before turning to banks for funds? This is already visible with mining partners, unlike elsewhere.
The shadow of SNH and Nathalie Moudiki
Looking at the timing, this announcement comes days after Cameroonian business leaders, through their president Célestin Tawamba, praised SNH for the new Kribi refinery under construction — a project led brilliantly by Nathalie Moudiki. The Gecam president spoke in an international media outlet.
Nomination stakes are therefore favourable
In reality, yesterday’s event was simply a communication aimed at bluffing the President of the Republic, precisely when he is in Switzerland reassessing the performance of those he appointed to assist him and serve the people.
In its communication, Sonara used a phrase designed to appeal to Cameroonians, mentioning a hydrocracker unit that will refine Cameroonian crude. Yet this project was already underway before the fire and is already part of the Kribi refinery plan.
The sabotage of the Kribi refinery
“When you see whistleblowers lurking in the shadows attacking certain individuals involved in projects, think twice.”
Since yesterday, Boris Bertolt has been publishing incendiary posts against the SNH refinery project, making unsubstantiated claims to tarnish Nathalie Moudiki’s image. Why sabotage the Kribi refinery project on the very day Sonara makes its comeback? Yet at SNH, they applaud Sonara’s historic role.
Regarding Sonara’s rehabilitation, in 2020 a high-level delegation from Russian giant Lukoil was received in Yaoundé to propose a reconstruction plan with modern equipment. The government gave no favourable response.
Regime loyalists, favouring imports through traders, cite sovereignty reasons to reject 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, but it refines over 60% of the country’s crude.
Why is the SNH (gas) model not applied to Sonara (oil)?
The large Lobito refinery in Angola is built by China, the Copperbelt refinery in Zambia also by China. Uganda’s first oil refinery is being built by Russians, and another project is underway in Congo.
Cameroonians, let us pray.
