President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that authorities have seized 135 excavators and nearly 200 firearms in an ongoing crackdown on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. He said more than 8,200 items, including changfan machines, excavators and other equipment used for illegal mining, had been confiscated as part of efforts to clamp down on the menace.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Conference on Monday, October 19, President Mahama said the operation had made significant progress, particularly in removing illegal miners from forest reserves previously classified as red zones because of the security threats posed by armed operators. “We have achieved some successes in the fight against illegal mining. We have confiscated more than 8,200 items. This includes changfan machines, excavators and other equipment used in illegal mining,” he said.
“We’ve confiscated 135 excavators that were being used in illegal mining, and we have retrieved almost 200 firearms that the people involved in illegal mining had,” he added. The President disclosed that illegal miners had encroached on 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, with some areas designated as red zones because the presence of armed miners made it dangerous for forest guards to access them.
He said the government had successfully cleared illegal miners from nine of these red zones and was preparing the affected forest reserves for reclamation. “I’m happy to note that of those nine red zones, we have cleared all of them of illegal miners and are currently preparing those forest reserves for reclamation,” he said.
President Mahama estimated that illegal mining had degraded approximately 12,000 acres of land nationwide, noting that measures were being taken to restore the affected areas. He commended mining company Newmont for its land reclamation efforts, particularly the rehabilitation of mined-out sites through the cultivation of useful crops.
The President also praised the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) for awarding the Ghana Armed Forces a contract to reclaim 253 acres of land destroyed by illegal mining in the Tano Nimri Forest. “That work is ongoing,” he said. He further announced that GH¢200 million had been allocated to support the reclamation of 5,000 acres of degraded land, with the exercise scheduled to commence next year.
President Mahama acknowledged the contributions of the Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources and Finance towards supporting the reclamation initiative. On efforts to monitor excavators and prevent their diversion into illegal mining activities, the President said 6,060 excavators had been registered and detained at the ports, while 2,059 had been fitted with tracking devices.
He explained that the tracking technology would enable authorities to monitor the locations where the machines were being operated, strengthening surveillance and enforcement measures against illegal mining.
