NAIMOS Targets Atewa Forest Under Operation Green Shield After Earlier Violent Mining Clash

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has announced a sustained operation against illegal mining in the Atewa Forest Reserve, following earlier reports of violence and environmental destruction within the protected area.

Operation Green Shield, outlined at a media briefing on October 22, 2026, will combine the removal of illegal miners with continued surveillance and the eventual transfer of routine protection duties to the Forestry Commission. The initiative seeks to prevent miners from returning after enforcement teams withdraw.

The announcement follows an earlier intervention documented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on August 17, 2026. According to that report, a NAIMOS task force intervened in a confrontation involving suspected illegal miners in the reserve, within the Abuakwa South area of the Eastern Region.

The confrontation reportedly involved machetes and left one person seriously injured. The injured person was taken to the Asiakwa Police Station before being referred to a medical facility. A subsequent reconnaissance patrol uncovered mining-related damage along river systems and difficult terrain accessible mainly on foot, motorcycles and tricycles.

The task force destroyed 15 makeshift structures and 11 water-pumping machines believed to support illegal mining. No arrests were made during that exercise. The ministry said investigations had begun into both the confrontation and the mining activities.

The August incident and the October announcement are separate developments. Together, they illustrate the challenge facing authorities: disrupting mining operations while establishing a lasting security presence in a forest where access is difficult.

NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel Kwame Sam Appiah, said Operation Green Shield would proceed through three stages. Specially trained personnel would first clear priority mining hotspots. Sustained patrols and surveillance would then secure those areas, followed by a gradual handover to Forestry Commission guards. Graphic Online reported that deployment was expected to begin within two weeks of the October briefing.

The stakes extend beyond the reserve’s boundaries. Atewa contains the headwaters of the Birim, Densu and Ayensu rivers, which support drinking-water supplies, farming and industry for millions of people. Conservation organisation A Rocha Ghana identifies illegal mining, logging, farming and waste pollution as pressures on these river systems. Protecting the forest is therefore closely connected to safeguarding downstream water supplies and livelihoods.

At the October briefing, Col. Appiah reported that NAIMOS had undertaken 738 operational activities between June 13 and September 30, 2026. These included reconnaissance, patrols, raids and community engagements. He said officers recovered 74 firearms and 551 rounds of ammunition and destroyed 1,970 changfan machines and 863 makeshift structures linked to illegal mining. These figures represent the Secretariat’s reported nationwide activities during the period.

The ministry’s account also states that more than 100 excavators were seized and secured at designated holding locations. Their chassis numbers and locations were being documented to support legal proceedings aimed at confiscation. This differs from some media accounts describing the excavators as destroyed.

Operation Green Shield now faces the practical test of turning temporary disruption into durable protection. Its effectiveness will depend on whether cleared sites remain secure, investigations lead to accountability and damaged areas recover. For communities dependent on rivers originating in Atewa, the most meaningful outcome will be sustained protection of the forest and the water resources it supports.