Ghana Confronts Deepening Galamsey Crisis at 20th ‘Kronti ne Akwamu’ Democracy Lecture

Ghana’s worsening illegal mining crisis took centre stage on Thursday evening as journalists, diplomats, scholars, civil society leaders and policymakers gathered at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences for the 20th Annual ‘Kronti ne Akwamu’ (Democracy and Good Governance) Public Lecture, where investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor delivered a stark and uncompromising assessment of the galamsey menace.

Held under the theme “A Country in Search of Solutions in Plain Sight,” the lecture was chaired by former Minister of Environment and distinguished cardiothoracic surgeon Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, with opening remarks delivered by CDD-Ghana Executive Director Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh.

CDD Warns: Illegal Mining Now a National Emergency

In his welcome address, Prof. Prempeh described galamsey as “a millstone around the country’s neck”, noting that despite multiple interventions—Operation Vanguard, Operation Halt, and the newly operationalised NAIMOS—illegal mining has metastasized into a full-blown national crisis.

He explained that the annual Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture, instituted in 2005 as CDD-Ghana’s flagship governance platform, has always tackled difficult issues central to democracy and good governance.

“This year’s topic could not be timelier,” he said. “We understand the dimensions of the problem. We understand the cost. What continues to elude us is the solution.”

Prof. Prempeh praised Erastus Asare Donkor as the country’s most consistent voice on illegal mining, describing him as “almost a one-man galamsey fighter.”

Australia Reaffirms Support in Fight Against Illegal Mining

Delivering solidarity remarks, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms. Berenice Owen-Jones, commended CDD-Ghana for two decades of national influence and said Australia sees the galamsey crisis as a national security threat.

“The government of Ghana has signalled that combating illegal mining is a top priority, and Australia stands ready to support these efforts,” she said.

The High Commissioner highlighted ongoing Australian support, including:

• The Mining for Peace project
• Scholarship programmes in governance and extractive sector management
• Partnerships for responsible mining and community resilience
• The Africa Extractive Media Fellowship, designed to equip journalists covering mining issues

She encouraged participants to “ask the hard questions” and help shape policy reforms that can break the cycle of environmental degradation and insecurity.

Donkor’s Lecture: A Gripping Exposé on Forest Loss, Poisoned Rivers and Governance Failure

Taking the podium, Erastus Asare Donkor said it was both “an honour and a heavy burden” to address what he called one of Ghana’s gravest emergencies.

The journalist presented two decades’ worth of investigations, scientific evidence and on-the-ground documentation of forest destruction, water pollution, cyanide abuse, and institutional complicity.

Forest Reserves in Collapse

Mr. Donkor traced Ghana’s forest decline from 6.5 million hectares in 1900 to just 1.02 million hectares in 2024, with the most devastating losses occurring between 2015 and 2024 as illegal mining transitioned from small tools to heavy machinery.

He listed forest reserves ravaged by galamsey, including:

• Apamprama
• Offin Shelterbelt
• Oda River
• Tano Nimri
• Upper Wassaw
• Tano Offin
• Cape Three Points
• Jimira
• Subri
• Boin River
• Atiwa

He revealed that nine (9) reserves were classified as RED zones in early 2025—areas occupied by violent, heavily armed illegal miners.

Despite temporary progress by security agencies, the number rose again from one to five by October 2025.

Even the Bui National Park is now rated ORANGE, with persistent incursions that could escalate into full red-zone occupation.

Water Bodies “Flowing Like Wounds”

Presenting findings from his award-winning documentaries, Donkor said Ghana’s once-pristine rivers—Pra, Offin, Ankobra, Birim, Tano, Densu, Butre and others—now “flow like wounds across our conscience.”

Laboratory tests conducted with KNUST’s Sheath Laboratory recorded arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead levels exceeding WHO limits by over 200% in some cases.

“These are rivers that sustained fishing, farming and drinking water for millions,” he said.

Air Pollution and Birth Defects Linked to Mining Chemicals Donkor detailed mercury exposure in mining communities, noting airborne concentrations up to 800,000 ng/m³—far above USEPA’s safe limit of 300 ng/m³.

He cited a disturbing pattern of birth defects observed by paediatric specialists, with 66% of cases referred from January to June 2025 originating from galamsey areas, including spina bifida, gastroschisis, intestinal obstruction and encephalocele.

Cyanide Leaching: “A Monumental Crime”

One of Donkor’s most alarming revelations was the discovery of widespread illegal cyanide leaching, known locally as Sankofa, in Ahafo communities such as:

• Ntotroso
• Kenyasi No. 1 & No. 2
• Hwidiem
• Bronikrom
• Atta ne Atta
• Nkaseim
• Woromso

He described dozens of unregulated cyanide ponds situated dangerously close to seasonal streams that feed into the River Tano, posing long-term ecological and health threats.

Despite raids by NAIMOS, many sites continue to operate openly.

Governance Failure: Political Interference and a Breakdown of Enforcement

Donkor was unequivocal about what he described as a “systemic failure,” pointing out that of 1,190 illegal miners arrested between 2023 and October 2025, only 35 have been prosecuted.

He cited multiple cases of:

• District chief executives issuing unauthorised “prospecting” licenses
• MMDCEs extorting illegal miners
• Politicians obstructing NAIMOS operations
• Local assemblies enabling mining in watercourses and settlements
• State security operatives raiding forest district offices

“The problem is not the miner in the pit; it is the leader looking away,” he said.

He called on the President to begin holding MMDCEs accountable for the state of rivers and forests in their districts.

Solutions in Plain Sight: Donkor’s 10-Point Call to Action

Donkor outlined a comprehensive set of actions Ghana must take if it is to reverse environmental collapse. They include:

1. Resourcing enforcement agencies with logistics and protection
2. Treating illegal mining as a major crime at the local level
3. Holding MMDCEs accountable for illegal mining under their jurisdiction
4. Tracking all excavators nationwide
5. Strengthening and upgrading the Forestry Commission to a para-military environmental unit
6. Declaring rivers and biodiversity zones as no-go security areas
7. Decentralising NAIMOS and protecting them from political interference
8. Simplifying the mining licensing regime to promote legal small-scale mining
9. Rolling out alternative livelihood programmes for mining communities
10. Reviving the NCCE to lead nationwide public education

“What we lack is not strategy,” he declared. “It is political will and moral courage.”

Media and Civil Society Applauded as “Defenders of Civic Space”

Donkor praised the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, CDD-Ghana and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences for providing platforms that confront uncomfortable truths and amplify community voices.

He urged journalists to remain objective but take a principled stand.

“The media must be fair, but it cannot be neutral. This is a fight for survival.”

“Let History Record That When Our Rivers Cried, We Acted”

Closing his address to a standing ovation, Mr. Donkor called on policymakers, chiefs, journalists, scientists and citizens to unite.

“Galamsey is not just an environmental crisis. It is a test of leadership, governance and conscience,” he said. “If we fail this test, our rivers will carry the memory of our silence. But if we act, we can still turn the tide.”

He ended with a plea: “May our country find the courage to save herself from this galamsey rape.”

Source:Joseph Kobla Wemakor