Galamsey Fight: About 400 heavily armed illegal miners overpowered my team of 30 task force members causing us to retreat — Minister reveals

Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong has revealed the dangerous reality of illegal mining activities, describing how heavily armed miners forced his task force to retreat during a recent mission to halt their operations.

Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ morning show with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Thursday, September 5, 2024, Acheampong recounted leading a task force of about 30 men to a galamsey site to stop and arrest the illegal miners.

However, upon arrival, they were confronted by 104 miners armed with sophisticated weapons, significantly outnumbering the task force and eventually overpowering them.

“I went to a galamsey site with a task force team to stop the illegal mining activities. When we arrived, we found about 104 illegal miners, which was significantly more than the 30 task force members with me,” Acheampong stated.

“As a man, I told them to retreat, else any attempt we make to stop them, they can harm and even kill us, so we had to return home to properly prepare ourselves,” he added.

The Minister highlighted the severity of the threat posed by these illegal miners, who not only carry weapons for self-protection but also pose a broader national security risk to the nation.

He expressed concern about the escalating dangers and the challenges faced by authorities in their efforts to combat illegal mining.

“This is the biggest problem that has befallen the country. These are some of the things we face and the kind of guns they are armed with…,” Acheampong lamented.

His comments come amid growing public pressure on the government to address the galamsey crisis, which has severely impacted Ghana’s water bodies, including the Pra River and River Ankobra.

Ghana Water Limited recently issued a statement, which highlighted difficulties in providing quality water due to the contamination caused by illegal mining.

GWCL further called for decisive action against galamsey operators.