Map - Bakouma

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.

Bakouma was founded in September 1892 when the Belgians, led by Commander Georges Adolphe Balat and Captain Georges 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 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, as 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.

During the 1990s, former political prisoner Jeanne-Marie Ruth-Rolland was elected deputy leader of Bakouma and lead a gold prospector's consortium. She was also active in diamond mining in the area. Following her death, a monument was elected in her honor.

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.