President John Dramani Mahama has signaled a major shift in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, announcing that his administration will now focus on prosecuting the financiers and orchestrators behind the destructive practice, rather than solely targeting low-level operators.
Addressing Parliament during his State of the Nation Address on Friday, the President described galamsey as a “grave threat” to the environment, water bodies, public health, and national security. He acknowledged that past enforcement efforts had largely failed to reach the upper echelons of the illicit trade.
“Prosecution of persons engaged in illegal mining has been intense,” he said. “However, efforts have often been behind Galamsey operations, rather than targeting only the little fish, low-level offenders. In all these Galamsey operations, there are big fish who never get caught.”
To tackle this gap, President Mahama announced the deployment of specialized prosecutorial teams tasked with fast-tracking illegal mining cases, presenting evidence effectively, and pursuing the confiscation of equipment and proceeds derived from the trade.
He highlighted that 140 communities, particularly towns and villages, remain highly vulnerable to galamsey activities, and that the new legal teams will prioritize dismantling the economic networks sustaining these operations.
The President’s commitment marks a renewed crackdown on galamsey, aiming to protect Ghana’s forest reserves, rivers, and ecological systems, while ensuring that those who profit from illegal mining — the so-called “big fish” — face justice.
