(Accra, 23 October 2025) – The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) convened key stakeholders for a national dialogue focused on the growing security risks posed by illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Held under the theme “Galamsey as an Existential Threat to Ghana: A Call for Reflection and Action,” the latest edition of the Centre’s Reflections on Security Series brought together policymakers, practitioners, environmental regulators, civil society, traditional authorities, security agencies, and the media to examine the entrenched threat and to explore fresh solutions.
Opening the dialogue, Acting Commandant of KAIPTC, Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, underscored the urgency of addressing galamsey, describing it as a national crisis with far-reaching consequences for Ghana’s environment, economy, governance, and public health.
“Illegal mining has degraded vast stretches of forests, polluted key rivers, and destroyed arable lands, undermining water security, sustainable agricultural production and the well-being of entire communities,” he said. Beyond the environmental toll, he noted that galamsey has increasingly fostered organised criminality, corruption, and tensions that could erode state authority and stability if left unchecked.
Ghana’s response to illegal mining has over the years included enforcement-led interventions such as Operation Vanguard and Operation Halt, and the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS). Livelihood-based solutions such as the Responsible Community Mining Scheme have also been implemented. Despite this, Air Commodore Akrong said persistent gaps between policy intent and actual outcomes call for renewed collaboration and accountability.
The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Victor Doke, Research Fellow at KAIPTC, featured:
- Col. Dominic Buah – Director of Operations, NAIMOS
- Supt. Mohammed Keita – Assistant Operations Director, Ghana Police Service
- Engr. Michael Sandow Ali – Director, Mining, Environmental Protection Agency
- Mr. Alhassan Abdul-Razak – Director of Communications, Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners
- Mr. Albert Ayelyang – National Coordinator, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding
- Mr. Kojo Yankson – Media Practitioner
Panelists and participants discussed the complex drivers of illegal mining, including corruption, weak enforcement systems, lack of economic alternatives, and transnational networks that fuel the trade in mining equipment and illicit gold.
A long-term recommendation proposed was the creation of a comprehensive geological survey database to guide regulated mining and reduce destructive alluvial and “blind mining” practices along rivers and in forest reserves. Discussions also highlighted the need for stronger political will, improved logistical capacity for law enforcement, disruption of illicit supply chains feeding the galamsey economy, and community accountability mechanisms.
Participants further urged NAIMOS to consider a public “name-and-shame” system to expose community actors enabling illegal mining, while intensifying sensitization to reinforce that eliminating galamsey requires sustained national effort rather than short-term campaigns.
The dialogue is expected to inform a report that will contribute to ongoing policy discourse and practical efforts to combat illegal mining in Ghana.