The government will permanently station military personnel in 44 illegal mining zones as part of a new strategy to combat environmental degradation linked to unregulated gold mining, a senior official announced Tuesday.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, said the move marks a significant shift from previous ad hoc operations, which have struggled to curb the proliferation of so-called “galamsey” activities—small-scale, often illegal mining that has wreaked havoc on the country’s water bodies and forests.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said the military will maintain a continuous presence in areas identified as hotspots for illegal mining.
“All the 44 areas that are threatened by galamsey, there is going to be a permanent military presence,” he said.
The new approach includes not just mining zones but also Ghana’s river systems, many of which have been severely polluted by mercury and other toxic substances used in unregulated mining processes.
“All the rivers we have will have permanent military presence,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu added.
The announcement follows growing public pressure to declare a state of emergency over the galamsey crisis, though President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed such calls as premature. Critics argue that the government has moved too slowly to confront a problem that threatens both public health and the country’s long-term water security.
Ghana is Africa’s second-largest gold producer, but illegal mining has undermined environmental protections and strained local communities. The new military deployment is part of a broader, more aggressive stance by the government to reassert control over the sector.
It remains to be seen how effective the permanent military strategy will be, given the entrenched interests and economic drivers behind illegal mining.
