President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s renewed and determined fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, promi
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s renewed and determined fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, promising a sustained, technology-driven, and collaborative approach to protect Ghana’s forests, rivers, and communities.
Speaking at a high-level dialogue with civil society organizations (CSOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), environmental groups, and activists at the Jubilee House last Friday, the President declared:
“This is not an event; it is a process — and we are determined to win this fight.”
The dialogue, convened by the government, came amid intensified public pressure on duty bearers to tackle the worsening environmental crisis, polluted rivers, and the growing destruction of farmlands caused by illegal mining.
Broad Stakeholder Engagement
The meeting brought together a wide range of CSOs and advocacy bodies, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Christian Council of Ghana, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Office of the Chief Imam, Ghana Muslim Mission, A Rocha Ghana, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), IMANI Ghana, Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).
Other participants included the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Eco-Conscious Citizens, University Teachers’ Association of Ghana, FixTheCountry Movement, Star-Ghana Foundation, West Africa Network for Peace-Building (WANEP), and Wacam (West African Communities Against Mining).
Also present were key think tanks — the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Africa Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), SEND Ghana, and Action-aid International.
Women’s, professional, and student groups were equally represented, including Abantu for Development, Net-right, Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Law Society of Ghana, African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG), and the National Association of Law Students (NALS).
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Amnesty International, Ghana Federation for the Disabled, Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), and the Ghana Chamber of Mines also participated.
Most Pressing National Issue
President Mahama acknowledged that illegal mining had become one of Ghana’s most pressing national challenges, threatening forests, rivers, and the future of communities across the country. He said the crisis had worsened with the introduction of heavy earth-moving machinery into what was once a small-scale, rudimentary trade — now leaving massive environmental devastation in its wake.
Learning from Past Mistakes
He admitted that mistakes had been made in the past, particularly the premature withdrawal of security forces after clearing illegal miners from forest reserves, which allowed many to return.
Big Budget and Permanent Deployment
The President said Ghana needed a substantially bigger budget to sustain the galamsey fight. Following the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), he announced plans for the permanent deployment of the military to illegal mining hot-spots.
He added that government would make provisions in the 2026 national budget to support these efforts.
“My expectation is that the Minister of Finance will provide a much bigger allocation to the fight against galamsey,” he said.
“If you station troops permanently in forest reserves, you must feed them, fuel their vehicles, and provide logistics. That means we need a substantially bigger budget to win this war.”
State of Emergency
Responding to calls for a state of emergency to address illegal mining, President Mahama said he would only take that step on the advice of the National Security Council.
“Yes, I have the power to do it, but the President acts on the advice of the National Security Council — and as of now, the Council believes we can win the fight against galamsey without declaring a state of emergency,” he explained.
He added:
“The day the Council advises me otherwise — that, ‘Boss, now we need a state of emergency’ — I will not hesitate to declare it.”
Security Capacity and Coordination
President Mahama noted that the fight required more troops but admitted that Ghana’s forces were stretched thin, with many on peacekeeping missions abroad and others stationed in conflict-prone areas such as Bawku and Nkwanta.
“If we deploy another batch to the forests, it means committing most of our forces to tasks other than crime prevention and public safety,” he said.
He explained that this was why NAIMOS was created to integrate the military and other security agencies into a coordinated national task force, which would be reinforced as personnel return from peacekeeping duties.
Successes So Far
Highlighting progress, the President announced that his administration had begun strict enforcement of laws regulating excavator importation, ensuring that only licensed and approved operators are allowed to bring heavy machinery into the country.
He revealed that shipping agencies would be penalized for transporting excavators without authorization and that all such machines would be registered and fitted with tracking devices to monitor their movement.
He said the deployment of “Blue Water Guards” to rivers like the Ankobra was already yielding positive results.
Restoration and Reclamation
President Mahama underscored the need for land reclamation, revealing that government was partnering with firms that previously worked on the UN’s Green Sahel Project to introduce vegetation capable of regenerating soils and absorbing toxins from degraded mining sites.
Formalizing Small-Scale Mining
He also announced plans to replicate international best practices, citing Chile’s success in formalizing 90 per cent of its small-scale mining sector.
“We can also achieve that. The goal is not to criminalize small-scale mining, but to make it responsible and sustainable,” he said.
To that end, AngloGold and Newmont have agreed to allocate portions of their concessions for cooperative mining, allowing small-scale miners to operate under supervision in controlled and environmentally responsible areas.
Targeting the Kingpins
President Mahama said the government would now focus on arresting the kingpins behind galamsey operations rather than the “small boys at the sites.”
He noted that over 1,400 people had so far been arrested, most of them young people seeking livelihoods.
“Per the law, we will prosecute and imprison them,” he said, “but those who run these operations are the ones we must be arresting and imprisoning — not these little boys.”
He added that with sentences for illegal mining ranging from five to fifteen years, many of the young offenders could return after serving their time, underscoring the need to dismantle the networks that finance and sustain the operations.
Technology and Innovation
The President highlighted the need to adopt cleaner mining technologies that minimize the use of mercury and cyanide, citing tools such as vortex concentrators, activated carbon filters, and reverse osmosis systems for water detoxification.
“While we fight galamsey, we must also adopt technologies that protect our environment. This is not an event; it is a process — but we will never give up,” he said.
Appeal and Commitment
President Mahama assured CSOs and stakeholders that his government would maintain transparency, collaboration, and regular communication throughout the campaign.
“Our great-grandfathers handed us a beautiful country — with forests, rivers, and fertile lands. We cannot hand poisoned rivers and desecrated forests to our children. We will fight — and I believe we will win the battle against galamsey,” he concluded.