Galamsey is Killing Ghana: The Crisis of Civil Society Distraction

Illegal mining, locally known as galamsey, has evolved from a localized economic activity into a full-scale national emergency in Ghana. This destructive practice is systematically poisoning watersheds, decimating forests, and threatening public health, posing an existential threat to Ghana’s sustainable development. In a powerful and controversial critique, John Awuah, President of the Ghana Association of Banks, argues that while the crisis deepens, the nation’s civil society organizations (CSOs) have become dangerously distracted, rendering their advocacy ineffective. This article examines his claims, provides essential background on the galamsey epidemic, analyzes the systemic failures in the national response, and offers practical advice for mobilizing a coherent, effective fight to save Ghana’s environment and future.

Introduction: An Existential Threat Ignored

Ghana’s lush landscapes and vital water bodies are under siege. The rampant, unregulated extraction of gold through illegal mining operations—often involving foreign nationals and using destructive methods like dredging and chemical pollution—has reached catastrophic levels. Rivers like the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim, once lifelines for communities and ecosystems, are now toxic, rust-colored arteries of death. The environmental degradation from galamsey is not a distant future threat; it is a present reality causing acute health issues, loss of arable land, and the collapse of local economies.

Against this backdrop, John Awuah’s statement—”Galamsey is killing Ghana, however civil society is distracted“—sounds a critical alarm. He contends that the nation is losing this battle not solely due to the perpetrators, but because the primary societal force tasked with holding power accountable, the civil society and activist community in Ghana, has failed to mount a sustained, credible, and results-oriented campaign. This article will deconstruct this assertion, explore the multi-faceted dimensions of the galamsey crisis, and propose a pathway toward genuine, impactful advocacy.

Key Points: Deconstructing the Crisis

Galamsey as an Existential Danger: The scale of illegal gold mining in Ghana has moved beyond an environmental issue to a national security and public health crisis, threatening water security, food security, and the well-being of millions.
Failure of Sustained Civil Society Pressure: Despite media coverage, public awareness campaigns, and occasional protests, there has been a lack of continuous, strategic pressure that translates into concrete policy enforcement and systemic change.
Distraction by “Lesser” Issues: Critics argue that the focus of some CSOs and public discourse on symbolic or political issues (e.g., renaming national landmarks) diverts energy and moral capital from the immediate, tangible threat of galamsey.
The Task Force Illusion: The Ghanaian government has responded with a seemingly endless series of military and police task forces (e.g., Operation Vanguard, Galamstop), which Awuah and many observers see as performative, wasteful, and ultimately ineffective without a long-term strategy.
Economic Short-Termism vs. Long-Term Survival: A dangerous national narrative prioritizes gold export revenues and macroeconomic indicators over the irreversible destruction of the natural capital (land, water, forests) that underpins all other economic activity.
Silence of Key Institutions: Traditional authorities, religious bodies, and national development commissions have been notably muted, creating a vacuum of moral and institutional leadership on the issue.
The Single Credible Voice: The work of journalists like Erastus Asare Donkor is highlighted as a rare example of consistent, impactful investigative journalism that should be the norm, not the exception.

Background: Understanding the Galamsey Phenomenon

What is Galamsey?

The term “galamsey” is a portmanteau of “gather” and “sell” in the Akan dialect. It refers to the informal, often illegal, activity of mining for gold and other minerals, typically on a small to medium scale. While some galamsey operates legally under artisanal mining licenses, the vast majority in Ghana today operates in violation of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703). These illegal operations bypass environmental impact assessments, use mercury and other toxic chemicals with abandon, and operate in protected forest reserves and along riverbanks, causing immense ecological damage from mining.

A Brief History of the Escalation

The modern galamsey crisis gained critical momentum in the early 2010s, following a surge in global gold prices. It was initially fueled by local unemployment and poverty. However, it rapidly transformed with the influx of foreign investors, notably from China, who brought heavy machinery (chanfan dredgers, excavators) and industrial-scale techniques, vastly increasing the speed and volume of destruction. Successive governments have struggled to balance the short-term fiscal allure of gold revenues with the long-term imperative of environmental protection. The state’s response has oscillated between periods of aggressive, militarized crackdowns and quiet complacency, never establishing a permanent, institutionalized framework for sustainable small-scale mining.

The Devastating Impacts: Beyond Environmental Damage

The consequences of unchecked galamsey are severe and multi-layered:

Water Pollution: Mercury and cyanide contamination bio-accumulate in fish and enter the food chain. Rivers are silted, affecting drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation (e.g., the Akosombo Dam).
Land Degradation & Deforestation: Vast tracts of fertile agricultural land and pristine rainforest are turned into lunar-like landscapes of pits and mounds, leading to loss of biodiversity and increased erosion.
Public Health Crisis: Communities near polluted waterways report high incidences of skin diseases, respiratory problems, kidney failure, and neurological disorders linked to heavy metal poisoning. There are documented cases of elevated mercury levels in newborns.
Social Disruption: Galamsey sites attract crime, prostitution, and social vices, destabilizing communities. Land ownership conflicts intensify.
Economic Cost: While generating some revenue and employment, the long-term costs of environmental remediation, healthcare for affected populations, and loss of agricultural productivity far outweigh the short-term gains.

Analysis: Why is the Response Failing?

John Awuah’s critique points to a profound failure of collective action. The problem is not a lack of awareness but a failure of translation—turning awareness into sustained, effective pressure that forces systemic change.

The Illusion of Government Task Forces

The list of anti-galamsey initiatives Awuah enumerates is staggering: Operation Vanguard, the Ministerial Ad-Committee, the IGP’s Special Task Force, Regional Taskforces, Blue Water Guards, the Inter-Ministerial Committee, Operation Halt Galamsey, Galamstop Taskforce, NAIMOS, and the Western North Special Taskforce. The sheer number of these bodies is itself evidence of policy failure. They are typically:

Reactive and Temporary: Launched amid public outrage, they lose momentum and funding once media attention fades.
Militarized, Not Systemic: Focused on raiding and destroying equipment rather than addressing the underlying drivers: poverty, lack of alternative livelihoods, weak regulation, and corruption.
Vulnerable to Corruption: The involvement of powerful political and economic interests means operations are often selectively enforced, with key operators tipped off or politically protected.
Symbolic Over Substance: As Awuah states, they are often “Political creations to send a message of attention to the phenomenon without real intent to achieve any positive outcome.” They create the appearance of action without the substance of resolution.

Civil Society’s Lost Mandate: Noise vs. Results

Awuah’s most contentious charge is that the CSO community in Ghana has abandoned its core mission. He contrasts “empty noise full of political patronage” with “active CSO intervention [that] achieves results; not press conferences.” His argument suggests several pitfalls:

Issue Fatigue & Distraction: The 24/7 news cycle and social media activism can fragment focus. Campaigns on high-profile but less immediately catastrophic issues (like the renaming of Kotoka International Airport) can consume oxygen and resources.
Political Capturing: Some CSOs may align too closely with partisan political narratives, reducing their independent moral authority and making their advocacy contingent on political whims.
Lack of Strategic, Long-Term Campaigning: Effective advocacy requires persistent, multi-pronged strategies: legal action, community mobilization, policy drafting, corporate accountability campaigns, and relentless media engagement. This is harder than organizing a single protest.
Failure to Build Broad Coalitions: The fight requires a unified front that includes traditional leaders (the National House of Chiefs), religious bodies (Pastors, Imams), professional associations (like the Ghana Association of Banks), and the media. The silence of these pillars, as Awuah notes, is deafening.

The Sacrilege of Economic Metrics Over Human Survival

A core part of Awuah’s analysis is the moral failure of celebrating gold export revenues while the nation’s water and land are being destroyed. He poses a stark question: “What will increased Gold revenues do if half of the population is threatened with heightened chronic and acute diseases?” This highlights a dangerous short-term economic calculus that ignores the depletion of natural capital. A sick population, poisoned water, and barren land will ultimately collapse any economy, no matter how many dollars are earned from exported gold. The current path trades irreplaceable ecological assets for fleeting fiscal gains.

Practical Advice: Rebuilding an Effective Movement

Reversing the galamsey tide requires a paradigm shift from symbolic protest to strategic, relentless pressure. Here is a roadmap for different stakeholders:

For Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) & Activists:

Adopt a “Results-Only” Mindset: Define clear, measurable goals (e.g., “Reclaim and remediate 10km of the Pra River by 2025,” “Pass the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Amendment Bill strengthening penalties”). Every campaign must tie back to these outcomes.
Build a Permanent, Broad-Based Coalition: Forge an unbreakable alliance between environmental CSOs, public health advocates, farmer unions, fisherfolk associations, the Ghana Journalists Association, the Christian Council, the Chief Imam’s Council, and professional bodies like the Ghana Association of Banks and the Ghana Medical Association. This makes the movement too big to ignore or suppress.
Shift from Awareness to Accountability: Use litigation (public interest lawsuits), shareholder activism (targeting companies that buy gold from illicit sources), and persistent lobbying of specific parliamentarians and ministries. Name and shame not just the galamseyers but the enablers: corrupt officials, traditional leaders who sell stool lands, and banks that facilitate money laundering.
Empower Community-Led Monitoring: Support and train communities at the frontlines to document destruction, collect water/soil samples (with lab support), and serve as permanent watchdogs. Their lived experience is the most powerful evidence.
Demand a Royal Commission of Inquiry: Push for a high-powered, time-bound commission with judicial powers to investigate the full scale of galamsey, its financiers, and the complicity of state agencies. Its public hearings can be a powerful tool for national reckoning.

For the Media:

Move Beyond episodic Reporting: Follow the model of Erastus Asare Donkor and The Multimedia Group. Establish dedicated beats for environmental crime and investigative mining journalism. Go beyond showing polluted rivers; trace the supply chain from pit to port to international buyer.
Data-Driven Journalism: Partner with environmental scientists to publish regular, accessible data on water quality, deforestation rates, and health statistics in affected areas. Make the invisible damage visible.
Hold All Power Centers Accountable: Investigate not only the miners but the role of local assembly members, district chief executives, and central government ministries in enabling the practice.

For the Government & State Institutions:

Abolish the Task Force Carousel: Disband all ad-hoc task forces. Create one permanent, well-resourced, and independent Galamsey Eradication Agency with a clear mandate, transparent operations, and a budget protected from political interference. It must work in tandem with the EPA, Minerals Commission, and Forestry Commission.
Implement a National Alternative Livelihood Program: This is non-negotiable. Rapidly scale up and fund credible alternatives: modern, sustainable agriculture (outgrower schemes for cocoa, oil palm), regulated artisanal mining cooperatives with proper equipment and training, and vocational skills training in non-extractive sectors.
Strengthen and Enforce the Law: Activate the full penalties of Act 703 and the Criminal Offences Act for environmental crimes. Prosecute not just the diggers but the financiers, landowners, and corrupt officials. Confiscate and auction machinery used in illegal operations to fund remediation.
Empower Traditional Authorities: The National House of Chiefs must be empowered and supported to protect stool lands. Stool lands are held in trust for future generations; those who authorize mining on them must face sanctions from the traditional council itself.
Engage in Transparent Dialogue: The government must engage the broad coalition mentioned above in