Declare a State of Emergency in Galamsey Zones Now, Mahama Urged as Enforcers Become Perpetrators

The fight against illegal mining in Ghana has reached a critical crossroads, with the Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Kenneth Ashigbey, warning that the country's enforcement apparatus is compromised from within — and calling on President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in the worst-affected communities.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile programme, Ashigbey painted a troubling picture of a system in which the very individuals entrusted with stamping out galamsey have allegedly become participants in it. He used a sharp metaphor to drive the point home: the firefighters, he said, have become the arsonists.

"People that we have put in charge to be able to deal with the situation themselves are the people who are involved in it," he said, adding that this reality raises profound questions about whether Ghana's current institutional response is capable of solving the crisis.

Attacks on Military, Political Interference and the Ammunition Trail

Among the most alarming claims made by Ashigbey were reports of threats and physical attacks against military personnel deployed to mining communities. He argued that the brazenness of such attacks suggests those behind illegal mining operations enjoy protection from powerful, well-connected interests — a situation he described as deeply dangerous for the state's authority in those areas.

He also alleged that political interference is hampering the efforts of some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who are willing to enforce mining laws. According to Ashigbey, officials with the resolve to act are being pressured by politicians to stand down, effectively creating a shield around criminal operators.

The coalition convenor further raised alarm over the reported circulation of ammunition in mining communities, calling for a clear line to be drawn between legitimate, responsible mining businesses and criminal networks that rely on violence and intimidation to protect their illegal operations. He insisted that law-abiding operators must be shielded from the fallout, while those engaged in criminal conduct must face decisive consequences.

Why It Matters for Ghana

Galamsey — illegal small-scale mining — has for years posed one of the most severe environmental and governance threats Ghana faces. River bodies including the Pra, Birim and Offin have been badly polluted, destroying water sources for millions of citizens and devastating farmland across the forest belt. Despite a succession of government interventions, including military-backed operations and the establishment of regulatory bodies, the problem has persisted and in some areas intensified.

Ashigbey's call for a state of emergency is not new to public discourse, but it carries added weight because it echoes a formal recommendation by the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, whose recent statement on illegal mining outlined what the coalition convenor described as a comprehensive roadmap for tackling the crisis. He urged President Mahama to treat the bishops' recommendations seriously, arguing they contain the structural solutions the country needs.

A formal declaration of a state of emergency in specific galamsey hotspots would, in theory, grant government extraordinary powers to enforce restrictions, deploy security forces and suspend certain activities in those zones — measures that go well beyond routine anti-galamsey operations. Critics have in the past questioned whether such a declaration is constitutionally straightforward and practically enforceable, but proponents argue that the scale of environmental destruction and the depth of institutional compromise leave few other options.

Ashigbey's intervention underscores a broader frustration: that Ghana keeps recycling enforcement responses to a problem that is, at its root, a governance and accountability failure. Until officials who enable or participate in illegal mining face meaningful consequences, he implied, no operation or decree will produce lasting results.

• Ashigbey alleges law enforcement officials are directly involved in illegal mining activities.
• Military personnel in mining communities have reportedly faced threats and physical attacks.
• The Catholic Bishops' Conference's call for a state of emergency is backed by the media coalition.