Ghana, renowned for its rich gold deposits, is facing a growing crisis. Illegal mining, also known as “galamsey,” has taken hold, threatening the environment, local communities, and the economy.
In this blog, we’ll delve into illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana as I witnessed in the Aowin, Wassa Amenfi West, East and Central, Amansie West, Bosome Freho, Sekyere-Kumawu, and Juaboso districts during my trip to 15 districts in Ghana as part of Civic Response’s engagement with forest fringe communities on the Civil Society-led Independent Forest Monitoring (CSIFM) program.
The Devastating Effects of Galamsey:
Environmental degradation: Widespread pollution, deforestation, and water contamination are alarming. The galamsey menace has caused so much damage to the environment leading to the
pollution of water bodies with toxic chemicals like mercury, destroying forest reserves that threaten ecosystem loss, and polluting the quality of air that causes several respiratory issues among people living in those environments.
Raymond Nkuah Ennin, Programmes Officer for Civic Response
Human Rights violation: The activities of the galamsey menace do not respect the rights of people especially farmers and land owners in the communities. It was discovered that the powers
behind the galamsey menace do not respect the rights of communities to the extent that armed military and other security apparatus are quickly deployed in communities that attempt to resist
the activity.
Upon trying to find out from some of these communities about what extent their rights have been abused, even chiefs find themselves in helpless situations since their paramount chiefs have warned them strongly to stay out of the way of galamsey activities taking place in their communities.
Health risks: Mercury poisoning, respiratory diseases, increased risk of malaria, and other critical health implications are reported daily in the various health facilities. In the trip, hundreds
of people male female, young, and old were exposed to these heavy and poisonous chemicals used in the galamsey activities. Most of these people found in the various galamsey sites were about 80% – 90% naked soaking their bodies in these polluted water bodies.
None of the people involved especially the young ones found on galamsey sites had personal protective equipment, and that posed a very dire threat to their health. It was also common to see people eating all sorts of food in pits without washing their hands, which means that they were consuming the chemicals used for the galamsey activities directly on site.
The Players:
Foreign nationals: Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, Nigerians, and other international actors are strongly involved in this illegal mining activities.
Local collaborators: Ghanaians aiding in the illegal mining activities.
Corrupt officials: Government officials and other corruption-inducing security officials were found to be facilitating illegal mining operations in Ghana. It was so obvious that some specific
names among politicians in Ghana were mentioned in almost every district being the big men behind the menace.
Suggested Solutions:
Prosecute all frontiers of illegal mining in Ghana including politicians, Chiefs, and Public officials including the Forestry Commission, Lands Commission, and Security, among others, and publish every detail. The ban on galamsey activities should not be taken lightly and must have a parliamentary ruling to criminalize the menace. This is not a political fun-faire where the president will just say anything expecting the people of Ghana to believe him. As I widely witnessed, the good people of Ghana do not believe the president of the nation anymore especially when it comes to his commitments.
The need to prioritize the fight against illegal mining over elections is now. There is no sense in running elections in a country that does not seem to have any future.
– Community engagement: Educate, involve, and empower local communities on the dire effects of the galamsey menace. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) must as a matter
of urgency be resourced to embark on citizenry education on the diverse dire effects of galamsey and the need to criminalize the activity.
– Political Party commitment: All political parties must commit to the fight against illegal mining activities in Ghana, and this should be made public.
– International cooperation: Collaborate with foreign governments to immediately call their nationals involved in illegal mining activities in Ghana to subject themselves to the laws of the Country and also put in place strict policies to prevent illegal mining by their nationals.
Citizenry action
– Call for a nationwide strike: All concerned citizens of Ghana should have a nationwide strike if the president fails to put a total ban and criminalize galamsey by 3rd week of November 2024.
– Churches, Mosques, and other stakeholders must deny politicians from using their platforms for campaign activities.
– All the political aspirants must be compelled to pledge their commitment to the fight against galamsey.
– The judiciary must consider criminalizing illegal mining activities in Ghana and culprits must be prosecuted without the option of paying a fine.
– King-makers should be bold to use their traditions and values to dethrone all chiefs including paramount chiefs who have allowed their selfish interest to override the customs and beliefs of
their stool/land.
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Call to Action:
Let’s join forces to stop illegal mining in Ghana! Share this post, raise awareness, and demand action from our leaders. Together, we can protect Ghana’s environment, communities, and economy. #StopGalamsey #SaveGhana. Raymond Nkuah Ennin
