Galamsey: ‘Declaring state of emergency will only offer a short-term solution’ — Dr. Theo Acheampong

Political Risk Analyst and Economist, Dr. Theo Acheampong

Political Risk Analyst and Economist, Dr. Theo Acheampong, says declaring a state of emergency to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, will not bring lasting results.

He argued that similar military-led crackdowns under the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, such as Operation Vanguard, failed to produce sustainable outcomes.

Once security forces withdrew, he said, illegal miners quickly returned to their activities.

Speaking on Accra-based Joy News’ Newsfile on Saturday, September 20, Dr. Acheampong noted that a state of emergency would only replicate past mistakes.

“We had Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt, where you had these militarized swoops into different mining sites, but as soon as the troops left, the miners went back. If you impose a state of emergency or even create a security zone, that is just going to be a short-term solution. It doesn’t fundamentally address the supply-side issues driving the menace,” he explained.

Instead, Dr. Acheampong called for structural reforms, starting with the repeal of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves under certain conditions.

“That is part of the problem,” he said. “The LI gives the Minerals Commission and other bodies the authority to license all manner of people to mine in forest reserves. The NDC, while in opposition, promised to repeal it. Nine months down the line, we need to see some action.”

He urged the government to adopt policies that address the root economic and regulatory factors behind illegal mining, stressing that without these measures, any heavy-handed security intervention will remain temporary and ineffective.