Ghana Renews Crackdown On Illegal Mining After Deadly Chopper Crash

Accra: The government of Ghana has renewed its fight against illegal mining activities, locally known as galamsey, barely a month after a military chopper crash killed all eight on board, including two cabinet ministers.

In the quest to clamp down on the menace, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, acting minister of environment, science, technology, and innovation, has initiated steps to revoke the country's Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which permitted mining in forest reserves, and its amended version, L.I. 2501.

The legal action, according to a statement over the weekend, "is designed to unify and strengthen the regulatory framework, creating a cohesive front for all stakeholders in the national fight against illegal mining."

"The move aims to end the severe environmental devastation that has polluted Ghana's water bodies and degraded its forest reserves," added the statement.

Beyond the harmonization of the legal framework, the government is stepping up its blue-water initiatives by deploying hundreds of guards across affected areas to drive illegal miners out of river bodies and dismantle their equipment.

Illegal mining has been one of Ghana's most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges, blamed for widespread water pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.

Experts say it has also drained state revenue through gold smuggling, disrupted farming, pushed up water treatment costs, and fueled health risks, accidents, conflicts, and corruption among security forces and politicians.

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