The Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has lamented that the government’s lack of commitment to fighting Galamsey (illegal mining) is the main reason for the continuation of the menace, despite efforts and resources invested. Speaking on Morning Starr with Lantam Papanko, Mr. Bosu stated that the government’s lack of commitment is the biggest hurdle to overcoming the galamsey menace. “Our leadership, who are supposed to ensure we deal with galamsey, are the very people who turn a blind eye, they have direct enforcement actions, and suppress those who want to work on it.” Mr. Bosu recalled how the government has even deployed police to wipe out dissent in communities that don’t want community mining. “When there’s a need for community-level support to get rid of Galamsey, nobody comes to their aid. The government has even deployed police to quell dissent in communities that don’t want community mining.” “The government itself is responsible for all the impunity we’re seeing. You can put in all the money and logistics, but as long as the leadership isn’t committed, we’re just wasting our time”, Mr. Bosu noted. Mr. Bosu stated the problem persists, with water uptake stations and treatment centers shutting down due to mining activities. “We’ve had this issue since 2016, and many years down the line, nothing has changed. Water uptake stations and treatment centers are shutting down due to mining activities, and nobody is interested in addressing it.”
Daryl Bosu
Officers on the ground have tried to speak out, but they are sanctioned or intimidated. “Officers on the ground have spoken about these issues, but they are sanctioned or intimidated. The government doesn’t care about the complaints of galamsey, all they care about is securing re-election.” Mr. Bosu noted The youth are motivated to vote for governments that allow them to mine, forgetting that the gold will finish, and they’ll be left with nothing. “The youth in remote communities are motivated to vote for governments that allow them to mine, forgetting that the gold will finish, and we’ll be left with nothing. We’re refusing to think about the future and putting all our eggs in one basket of gold mining.” Mr. Bosu highlighted.
Galamsey has moved beyond citizens; it’s now a trans-national organized crime
Security Specialist and Consultant, Prof Kwesi Aning, has stated that illegal mining, known as "galamsey," in Ghana, has gone beyond ordinary citizens to now become a transnational organized crime. He highlighted the significant involvement of foreigners in these activities, which are causing severe environmental damage and social disruption. In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, Prof Aning explained that galamsey operations are severely damaging the country’s water bodies, including rivers. Speaking in response to JoyNews' latest documentary, 'Poisoned Rivers', he emphasized the risk of losing these vital resources if immediate action is not taken. In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, he added, “This has moved beyond ordinary citizen, we are talking about levels of collusion, standing every single factor from the state and organised trans-national criminality of citizens from different countries whose activities are posing an existential threat to Ghana."
Porf Kwesi Aning
Prof Aning noted that the problem has escalated beyond the control of ordinary citizens. “We are talking about collusion involving various factors from the state and organized transnational crime networks,” he stated. He also highlighted that galamsey is creating tensions between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. “Even more disturbing is that the money accrued from these activities is placing our international reputation at risk. It contributes to illicit financial flows and the funding of violence,” he added. The security expert raised concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s risk assessments. "This situation raises fundamental questions about the quality of risk assessments we undertake in this country," he said. Prof Aning criticised Ghanaian leaders for their failure to address the issue. “Leaders are either colluding, incapable, or unwilling to use the power entrusted to them for future generations. Instead, they deliberately allow foreign actors to exploit our resources, which is not only shameful but a disgrace,” he said. He specifically addressed the involvement of Chinese nationals in illegal mining, noting that they use harmful methods to extract gold and leave without regard for the damage caused. “Someone is granting them visas to come here," he said. He also referenced the Aisha Huang case as evidence of state incompetence and collusion. Mr Aning emphasised that Ghana's situation is unique having to voluntarily destroy its water bodies without being at war. "In wartime, you destroy water bodies to prevent the enemy from accessing water. But we are doing it to ourselves without any such threat," he remarked. He concluded by noting that the Ghanaian share in galamsey investments is relatively small compared to foreign involvement. “Galamsey poses, and will continue to pose, an existential threat both directly and indirectly,” he warned.