Security analyst, Professor Kwesi Aning, has called for a comprehensive and well-resourced security strategy to reclaim Ghana’s forest reserves from illegal small-scale miners (galamsey operators).
Speaking on TV3’s Big Issues programme on Friday, February 21, Professor Aning urged the government to strengthen enforcement agencies, hold all stakeholders accountable, and dismantle the influence of powerful individuals shielding illegal miners.
We have allowed these criminal networks to operate with impunity for too long,” he said. “If we fail to act decisively, we will be having the same conversation next year.”
Professor Aning’s comments follow a stark warning from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who recently revealed that 44 of Ghana’s forest reserves are under serious threat from illegal mining, with nine completely overrun.
The minister admitted that some illegal miners are so well-armed that security forces are unable to intervene, raising concerns about the proliferation of small arms and the involvement of powerful figures protecting the illegal trade.
Professor Aning described the situation as a major security lapse, warning that illegal miners have been emboldened by weak arms control and political interference.
“The Republic of Ghana has effectively ceded part of its territory to armed criminal groups,” he cautioned. “We must reclaim it before we create conditions that could attract even more dangerous actors.”
Meanwhile, Acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, Lawyer Abraham Amaliba, speaking on the same programme, stressed the need for a collaborative effort to combat illegal mining.
He underscored the role of chiefs and local communities in enabling galamsey, pointing out that some traditional leaders willingly lease out lands to illegal miners.
“It’s a collective effort because the communities that are affected by this galamsey crisis rely on the very forest reserves that are being destroyed for their drinking water,” he noted.
Mr Amaliba further insisted that no individual or group is stronger than the state, calling on the government to assert its authority.
“If the state unleashes its might on these illegal miners, we will stem the tide,” he stated.
Expressing concerns about the 2022 withdrawal of military personnel from some mining areas, Mr Amaliba questioned whether their presence had been effective and why they were removed.
“The approach to solving this must include the army,” he argued, warning that armed illegal miners pose a significant security threat.
Describing the destruction of Ghana’s forests as an act of terrorism against the state, Mr Amaliba made an urgent appeal for action.
“For a group of people to ambush our forests and deny citizens access to clean drinking water, that for me is a form of terrorism,” he asserted.
“We need a strategy that engages all stakeholders while ensuring that the state’s security forces play a key role in enforcement.
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Total Comments: 1
Good to hear