‘Impunity Is Not Over’ — CAGG Raises Fresh Alarm Over Illegal Mining

The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (CAGG) has dismissed the government’s claim that the “era of impunity is over” in the fight against illegal mining, arguing that widespread galamsey activities across several parts of the country prove that lawlessness remains deeply entrenched.

In a statement issued in Accra on Monday, July 20, the coalition acknowledged what it described as notable progress by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources but maintained that enforcement efforts remain inconsistent and inadequate to effectively protect Ghana’s forests, rivers and mining communities.

According to CAGG, the success of the anti-galamsey campaign will not be measured by official announcements but by sustained, impartial enforcement against offenders, regardless of their political or financial influence.

“Ghana’s forests, rivers and mining communities are not protected by press briefings. They are protected by sustained, fearless and uniform enforcement, applied equally in every region, against every excavator, and irrespective of whose interests stand in the way,” the coalition stated.

Achimota Forest Decision Praised

The coalition commended the government for revoking Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144, as amended by E.I. 234, which had removed portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve from protected status. It described the Cabinet’s decision as a significant step toward preserving one of Accra’s most important ecological assets.

CAGG also welcomed the Attorney-General’s decision to withdraw charges against the “Atronsu Five” and urged both the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police to ensure justice for 13-year-old Pious Nketia Nkansah, who was allegedly murdered.

Forest Reserves Still Under Siege

Despite ongoing operations to remove illegal miners from forest reserve “red zones,” the coalition warned that several protected areas remain under serious threat.

It identified the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Cape Three Points Forest Reserve, Afao Hills Forest Reserve and the Draw River Forest Reserve as hotspots where illegal mining continues to pose a major environmental risk.

To strengthen conservation efforts, CAGG called for increased funding for the Forestry Commission, the establishment of permanent security camps within forest reserves and renewed efforts to fulfil government’s pledge to upgrade Atewa Forest into a national park.

Illegal Mining Continues Across Regions

Rejecting the Ministry’s assertion that impunity has ended, the coalition pointed to continued illegal mining activities in the Eastern, Ashanti, Bono and Western regions.

According to CAGG, illegal mining remains active around the Birim, Densu and Ayensu river basins, near the Bui Hydroelectric Dam, around Lake Bosomtwe and within the Ahwiren wetlands.

The group also questioned what it described as selective enforcement and urged President John Dramani Mahama to ensure that all individuals implicated in illegal mining offences are investigated and prosecuted without fear or favour.

Questions Raised Over NAIMOS

CAGG further expressed concern about the operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).

Although it acknowledged the secretariat’s reported record of conducting more than 200 operations, the coalition said allegations of selective enforcement and claims that seized excavators had been returned to offenders after payments deserve immediate investigation.

It urged NAIMOS to publicly respond to the allegations and improve transparency by publishing details of its complaint-handling procedures and enforcement outcomes.

Police and Local Authorities Urged to Do More

The coalition also criticised what it described as weak enforcement by sections of the Ghana Police Service, arguing that deploying additional Blue Water Guards alone would not solve the galamsey problem unless intelligence gathered from the field results in swift arrests and prosecutions.

It called for tighter supervision of police commanders in mining districts, disciplinary action against officers who fail to enforce the law, stricter regulation of excavator movements and tighter controls over fuel supplies to illegal mining operators.

Coalition Calls for Stronger Reforms

While welcoming government’s plans to amend the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), CAGG insisted that the revised legislation must provide stronger protection for forests, water bodies and mining communities.

The coalition also called for the publication of the Constitutional Review Committee’s report, the prosecution of alleged galamsey kingpins, greater transparency in environmental governance and the regular release of reports on water quality, forest conditions and prosecutions.

CAGG reaffirmed its willingness to work with the government to strengthen environmental protection but cautioned that failure to decisively tackle illegal mining could have devastating long-term consequences for the country.

“We either deal with this menace or we perish, because without clean water, clean air and standing forests, we are done as a people,” the statement concluded.