LIMBE, Cameroon – In a landmark legal victory, the Société Nationale de Raffinage (SONARA), Cameroon’s national oil refining company, has successfully defended itself against a $101 million claim brought by Nigerian oil company SAHARA Energy Resources Ltd. The ruling, delivered on December 9, 2024, by the England & Wales Commercial Court, dismissed SAHARA’s claims in full.
Reports say the case stemmed from a 2013 contract for crude oil deliveries. SAHARA alleged that SONARA owed them penal charges, interest, and foreign exchange losses due to late payments.
Leading the defense for SONARA was prominent Cameroonian lawyer, Jones Achu, who collaborated with the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP and renowned Barrister Riaz Hussain KC from ATKIN Chambers.
“In her Judgment, Mrs Justice Cockerill held that a Joint Report which SAHARA Energy Resources relied on, did not amount to an agreement but at best constituted an agreement to agree, hence unenforceable under English law. The Judge further found Sahara’s claims for FX losses as being too remote and all of Sahara’s claims as being time-barred.”
The Court found that a key document relied upon by SAHARA did not constitute a legally binding agreement, and further ruled that SAHARA’s claims for foreign exchange losses were too remote.
The legal team noted that this legal victory has significant implications for SONARA and highlights the importance of robust legal representation in complex international commercial disputes.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such talented professionals of Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP led by Timi Balogun (Partner) and including, Ian Debbage (Director), Henry Goldschmidt (Senior Associate), Henry Spence and Daniel Ajuh (Associate), as we all with the renowned Barrister Riaz Hussain KC of ATKIN Chambers London,” stated Mr. Achu. “I am also very grateful to SONARA’s Management and to the entire SONARA team for the trust and confidence bestowed on me as well as for their collaboration.”
