Ghana's war on illegal mining has moved from campaign slogan to a daily test of state capacity. President John Mahama says the country is making progress, but the debate over how far the government should go is far from settled.
What the government says it has done. Speaking in the Upper East Region in August, Mahama said the renewed campaign is producing results, especially in forest reserves overrun by illegal miners. Once cleared, the areas are handed to the Forestry Commission, and he admitted that keeping soldiers in the forests means extra costs.
He vowed not to let miners return. In New York on 25 September, he said nine forest reserves have been cleared, with military camps maintained on them. He also said more water guards are needed to police rivers and their tributaries.
The legal ground has shifted too. In December 2025, environmental and civil-society groups welcomed the revocation of L.I. 2462, the 2022 regulation that opened a path to mining in forest reserves.
Other measures include the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to centralise gold purchases and impose traceability, more than 400 "Blue Water Guards," and a National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) created in late 2025 to unify enforcement.
The state of emergency debate. Mahama said he "never ever" promised a state of emergency, calling it a last resort suited to an isolated area. Galamsey affects 10 regions, he noted, and the government already has the powers it needs for targeted operations. Critics disagree.
Ibrahim Adjei argues the President cannot distance himself from calls for emergency powers made by senior NDC figures in opposition, while a Modern Ghana commentary contends galamsey is already an emergency.
The scale of the problem. Assessments cited by the Water Resources Commission suggest more than 60% of Ghana's water bodies are polluted, much of it linked to mining. Ghana Water Company has recorded turbidity at Pra River intakes about five times what its plants can treat, forcing repeated shutdowns, and its managing director warned in 2024 that Ghana could be importing drinking water by 2030.
A Ghana Report opinion piece argues that enforcement alone cannot win, given about a million livelihoods tied to the sector.
Where the fight will be decided. Three tests stand out:
Holding cleared land: soldiers on reclaimed reserves are costly, and the President himself concedes the burden.
Rivers, not just forests: Mahama says more water guards are needed on rivers and their tributaries.
Consistency: the gap between opposition promises and governing reality is where critics are pressing.
The fate of galamsey will be decided less by speeches than by whether cleared forests stay cleared and whether the Pra, Ankobra and Birim run clean again.
Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,
International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. (USIP)
[email protected]
+233555275880
Sources: Adomonline, "We won't give up on galamsey fight Mahama" (18 Aug 2026): https://www.adomonline.com/we-wont-give-up-on-galamsey-fight-mahama/; MyJoyOnline (26 Sept 2026): https://www.myjoyonline.com/i-never-said-ill-declare-a-state-of-emergency-president-mahama-on-galamsey/; Pulse Ghana (26 Sept 2026): https://www.pulse.com.gh/story/galamsey-i-never-ever-said-ill-declare-a-state-of-emergency-mahama-2026092609431879622; The Ghana Report, Adjei interview (28 Sept 2026): https://theghanareport.com/news/galamsey-fight-mahamas-denial-on-state-of-emergency-insincere-ibrahim-adjei/; Citi Newsroom on L.I. 2462 repeal (19 Dec 2025): https://citinewsroom.com/2025/12/galamsey-environmental-groups-commend-govt-for-repealing-of-li-2462/; The Ghana Report, "Why Ghana cannot defeat galamsey" (opinion): https://theghanareport.com/opinion/why-ghana-cannot-defeat-galamsey/; Modern Ghana commentary (26 Sept 2026): https://www.modernghana.com/news/1531017/mahamas-excuse-against-state-of-emergency-on-gala.html
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