JoyNews has learned that a group of security operatives, who identified themselves as members of the National Security, allegedly attempted to remove five heavy-duty excavators from the office yard of the Ashanti Regional Forestry Commission. According to JoyNews‘ environmental journalist, Erastus Asare Donkoh, who has been closely covering the issue of illegal mining (galamsey) in the country, […]
Rev. Charles Owusu, the former Head of Monitoring at the Forestry Commission, has called for a radical shift in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey. He argued that the ongoing struggle cannot be won through rhetoric, political interference, or isolated crackdowns. Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme on Tuesday, April 22, Rev. Owusu […]
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has directed the immediate revocation of all mining licenses held by Akonta Mining Company Limited. This follows serious allegations of illegal mining activities (galamsey) and regulatory breaches by the mining company. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, April 21, the Minister disclosed that […]
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of endangering Ghana’s mining sector with a string of harmful policies. In a letter dated April 21, 2025, the opposition warned that the new measures will stifle growth, repel foreign investment, and trigger job losses. The letter, addressed to the Ministers for Finance and Lands and Natural […]
The military has stormed and demolished a hidden settlement with a population of over 10,000 residents in the Western Region. The Abrewa Ne Nkran community, which lacks basic social amenities and is not recorded in any official national documents, is said to have been established by both Ghanaians and foreign nationals involved in illegal gold […]
Security analyst Prof. Kwesi Aning has criticised the decision to let those who pose existential threats to the state go unpunished will only embolden transnational criminal networks and undermine national security efforts. Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, April 8, he criticised what he described as the state’s failure to enforce its laws, […]
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has ordered the immediate transfer of all Police Commanders stationed in mining areas as part of intensified efforts to curb illegal mining, also known as galamsey. Speaking during an engagement with Imams and Zongo Chiefs in Kumasi, the Minister stressed the government’s commitment to tackling the menace, which […]
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the revocation of all small-scale mining licences issued after December 7, 2024, citing irregularities in the issuance process. Speaking at a joint press briefing on March 19, 2025, Mr Buah stated that these licences were granted without due process, making their cancellation necessary. […]
Seven out of the nine forest reserves that were completely overrun by illegal miners have been successfully reclaimed, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced. Speaking at a press briefing in Accra today, the minister revealed that a joint security task force—comprising the military, police, and the Forestry Commission’s rapid […]
A deadly confrontation between two rival groups of illegal timber loggers in the forested area of Sehwi Agyemadiem in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region has left five people dead and several others severely injured. The violent clash, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, was reportedly triggered by tensions over control […]
A collaborative operation between the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Ghana Armed Forces has resulted in the seizure of 10 excavators, a bulldozer, and the arrest of four individuals involved in illegal mining within the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Western North Region. The crackdown, carried out on […]
Seventy-three illegal miners, popularly referred to as galamseyers, have been arrested in the Tilli Forest, which spans the Bawku West and Nabdam districts in the Upper East Region. The miners, who had been hiding in the forest while engaging in illegal mining, were also operating in the Red Volta River, which passes through the area. […]
