“Soldiers Will Stay There”—Mahama Declares Permanent Military Presence in Forest Reserves

President John Dramani Mahama says soldiers will remain stationed in forest reserves cleared of illegal mining activities to prevent operators from returning to the sites.

He said the decision follows previous experiences in which illegal miners moved back into forest reserves shortly after military personnel deployed to flush them out had withdrawn.

President Mahama noted that all nine forest reserves previously classified as red zones—due to extensive destruction and the presence of heavily armed illegal miners—had now been cleared, with troops permanently stationed there to protect the areas.

“We have now cleared all nine of those red zones. There are no galamsey operators in those forest reserves, and we have stationed soldiers there to ensure that the illegal miners do not return. The soldiers will remain in those areas,” he said.

The President made the remarks during a courtesy call by chiefs from the Western North Region, where he called for stronger collaboration with traditional authorities to sustain the fight against illegal mining.

He said earlier attempts to secure some forest reserves failed because illegal miners returned shortly after soldiers withdrew and forest guards resumed responsibility for protecting the areas.

“Whenever forest guards went there, they were fired upon, and some lost their lives,” he said, highlighting the dangers faced by personnel tasked with protecting the reserves.

President Mahama urged chiefs to support the government’s efforts, especially in communities where young people and some traditional authorities had resisted operations by the National Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Illegal Mining (NAIMOS).

He said cooperation from traditional authorities was crucial because they lived among the people and were better positioned to help address the local factors sustaining illegal mining.

The President also expressed concern about incidents in which soldiers discharged firearms during enforcement operations, resulting in deaths. He said stronger community engagement and collaboration with traditional leaders were needed to prevent further casualties while protecting forest reserves and water bodies.

On efforts to restore degraded lands, President Mahama said Goldbod had begun engaging the military in a programme to reclaim destroyed forest areas and replant them with economic trees. Under the programme, bulldozers would be used to level degraded land, while the Forestry Commission would collaborate with the military on reclamation and reforestation.

President Mahama further announced that the Finance Minister had allocated GH¢400 million in the 2027 Budget to recruit additional Blue Water Guards to patrol water bodies and intensify efforts to eliminate illegal mining activities. He said the guards had been instructed to destroy changfang machines used for illegal mining whenever they encountered them.

According to him, several such machines had already been destroyed, leading to the clearance of many major river channels. However, he noted that illegal mining activities in tributaries continued to contribute mud and silt to the rivers.

The President said the government’s response must go beyond enforcement to address the economic circumstances pushing young people into illegal mining.