The government has announced plans to declare all rivers and forests in Ghana as security zones as part of a renewed push to clamp down on illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah revealed the measure, cautioning that anyone who continues to mine illegally in these protected areas will do so at their own risk.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, the Minister explained that the move represents a decisive step in the government’s broader strategy to protect natural resources. “We are moving another step further, and that step says we are going to declare all the water bodies and our forests security zones. And you stay there and engage in illegal mining activity at your own risk. That is the step,” he said.
He further stressed that the crackdown on galamsey is being backed with prosecutions, disclosing that the Attorney General is personally handling cases currently before the courts. “I think that the Attorney General is on top of this matter, and anybody engaged in illegal mining, we don’t care who you are or how politically connected, we will arrest and prosecute you,” he warned.
The move to designate rivers and forests as security zones is expected to empower state security agencies to take tougher action against illegal mining operators. It also signals government’s intent to end the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves, which has become one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental challenges.
