We were overwhelmed by 400 illegal miners – Minister reveals

• Sep 17, 2024

In a revealing interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, Eastern Regional Minister Seth Acheampong highlighted the escalating challenges in the region’s fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

The Eastern Region has become a focal point as President Akufo-Addo intensifies efforts to protect the country’s water bodies from the destructive impact of illegal mining.

Minister Acheampong spoke candidly about the difficulties his team faces, particularly when confronting large groups of heavily armed miners.

In one striking example, he detailed an incident where a task force was overwhelmed by 400 illegal miners during an operation.

“Our task force, made up of military, immigration, police, and intelligence officers, was simply outnumbered,” Mr Acheampong said, adding, “We were about 30 men, and they were 400.”

The minister stated that while the government remains committed to fighting illegal mining, it is far from a straightforward battle.

“Fighting illegal miners is not as easy as sitting around this table discussing it. People think it’s just about going in with guns and clearing them out, but it's much more complicated,” he explained.

A recurring theme of the discussion for some time now was the overwhelming scale of destruction caused by these illegal activities, which is particularly concentrated around water bodies.

"Our main fight is on the water bodies because it’s where the biggest issue lies. The water feeds all of us, and if it gets totally destroyed, we’ll face a crisis of food shortages and loss of lives," the minister stated in response.

Despite criticisms from civil society organisations and other stakeholders calling for a state of emergency, Mr Acheampong defended the government’s approach, emphasising the difficulty in dealing with the sheer number of miners on the ground.

“There’s a lot of misinformation. We don’t retreat because we don’t want to fight. It’s because we’re sometimes outnumbered. How do 30 security personnel fight off 400 armed men?” he asked.

The minister also pointed out a disturbing trend, stating that many of the illegal miners encountered are non-Ghanaians.

“Unfortunately, most of the people in the pits today are not Ghanaians. That’s the sad part. We arrest them, and when processing them, we try to engage their embassies, but sometimes they are overwhelmed too,” Mr Acheampong lamented.

Reflecting on the government’s response to the crisis, the Eastern Regional Minister admitted that while progress has been made, more support is needed.

He welcomed President Akufo-Addo’s recent directives but remained realistic about the challenges ahead, particularly in managing the sheer numbers of miners and their destructive activities.

Mr Acheampong’s comments shed light on the scale of the challenge illegal mining presents, not just to law enforcement but to the country’s entire environmental future.

The fight, he stated, is not just about catching miners, but about saving the nation's vital water bodies from irreversible damage.