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.HistoryBakouma was founded in September 1892 when the Belgians, led by Commander Balat and Captain Paul 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.