By Daniel Donkor
Ghana’s fight against galamsey, or illegal small scale mining, remains one of the most painful and persistent struggles in its history. For decades, governments have launched interventions, yet the menace continues to destroy rivers, farmlands, and communities. Many describe galamsey as “a cancer” eating into the very fabric of Ghana’s socio-economic and environmental stability.
The tragedy of galamsey is not limited to environmental devastation. It also comes with an immense human cost. In May 2017, the nation was shaken when Captain Maxwell Mahama, a young military officer deployed on an anti-galamsey operation, was lynched by a mob at Denkyira-Obuasi, now Diaso. His death was not only brutal but symbolic, a chilling reminder of the dangers facing those who dared to confront illegal mining operators.
Eight years later, in August 2025, another tragedy struck when a Ghana Armed Forces helicopter carrying senior government officials and security officers crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region. Among the casualties were Defence Minister Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Environment Minister Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and several senior security and political figures. They were on their way to Obuasi for a state led anti-galamsey event. None survived. The crash underscored a painful reality: Ghana’s war against illegal mining is not only costly but deadly.
Beyond human sacrifice, the environmental toll of galamsey has been catastrophic. Rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, and Offin, once pristine sources of life, are now poisoned with mercury and cyanide. Scientists warn that if the trend continues, Ghana could be forced to import clean water by 2030. Cocoa farms, long considered the backbone of Ghana’s agricultural economy, are being destroyed as miners dig through fertile soils. Rural dwellers complain of strange illnesses linked to polluted water, while communities lament the loss of livelihoods. For many Ghanaians, galamsey has become a slow but certain killer.
Yet, despite the risks and destruction, the practice thrives. Carried out by both locals and foreign nationals, particularly from China, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, galamsey is deeply rooted in mining communities where poverty and joblessness leave few alternatives. For many young people, digging for gold remains the only path to survival.
The persistence of galamsey is partly explained by structural weaknesses. Environmental laws exist, but enforcement is undermined by inadequate resources and political interference. Corruption also plays a significant role. Some politicians and traditional leaders are accused of shielding illegal miners, benefiting directly or indirectly from the proceeds. This complicity has weakened trust in government-led interventions. Moreover, conflicts over land and resources have inflamed social tensions, turning mining areas into zones of violence and division.
Historically, Ghana has waged several battles against galamsey, but with limited success. The Small-Scale Gold Mining Act of 1989 was meant to regulate artisanal mining but ended up creating loopholes for illegal operations. In 2013, a joint security task force deported more than 4,500 Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining, but the practice soon resurfaced. In 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declared that he was ready to “put his presidency on the line” to fight galamsey, leading to the creation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). Yet, even that initiative failed to yield lasting results.
By 2024, galamsey had become a powerful campaign issue. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of failing to protect Ghana’s environment. When the NDC assumed power in January 2025, it launched a new task force dubbed “Galamstop.” Soldiers were deployed, and excavators and dredging machines were seized or burned. But after eight months, the rivers remain brown, the forests depleted, and the menace as resilient as ever. Critics argue that the current government, too, is losing the fight.
Many analysts believe Ghana cannot win this war through military crackdowns alone. They argue that solutions must be multidimensional. Environmental agencies must be properly resourced and empowered to prosecute offenders without fear or favour. Corruption, both in government and within traditional authority structures, must be tackled decisively. Alternative livelihoods are essential; without sustainable jobs in agriculture, vocational training, and small-scale industries, rural youth will continue to turn to galamsey for survival. Public awareness campaigns must be intensified, and technology such as drones and satellite mapping should be deployed to monitor illegal mining sites more effectively.
From the lynching of Captain Mahama in 2017 to the helicopter crash of 2025, Ghana’s anti-galamsey war has cost the nation not only poisoned rivers and barren lands but also human lives and national stability. The fight has tested the resolve of governments, exposed the limits of law enforcement, and revealed the depths of corruption and poverty that feed the menace.
Ghana now stands at a crossroads. The question remains: How much more will the country sacrifice before it finally wins the war against galamsey?
