Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has described illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, as an existential threat to Ghana’s survival. He warned that the menace has evolved into a national crisis with serious implications for the country’s environment, economy, and human security.
Speaking at the “Reflections on Security Series” seminar held at the KAIPTC in Accra, Air Commodore Akrong highlighted that widespread forest degradation, river pollution, and destruction of arable lands have placed Ghana’s water security, public health, and sustainable development at serious risk. The seminar, themed “Galamsey as an Existential Threat to Ghana: A Call for Reflection and Action,” brought together policymakers, academics, security experts, civil society organisations, and media practitioners to discuss the multi-dimensional challenges posed by illegal mining and explore collaborative solutions.
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Air Commodore Akrong noted that illegal mining, once seen as a livelihood activity, has evolved into a deeply entrenched network of organised criminality involving corruption, money laundering, and exploitation of vulnerable populations.
“If left unchecked, these dynamics threaten not only the sustainability of the country’s natural resources but also the legitimacy of governance institutions and the stability of local communities,” he cautioned.
He cited contamination of major water bodies such as the Pra, Ankobra, Birim, and Offin rivers with toxic chemicals, including mercury, cyanide, and arsenic, as evidence of the alarming scale of environmental destruction.
“Entire communities are at risk, while the siltation of reservoirs is jeopardizing access to potable water for several towns and cities,” he said, emphasizing that the crisis has far-reaching public health consequences.
According to Air Commodore Akrong, galamsey has triggered a “silent public health emergency,” contributing to kidney diseases, respiratory ailments, birth defects, and the spread of waterborne and vector-borne diseases across mining communities. The threat extends beyond environmental degradation, as illegal mining is now linked with transnational criminal networks that facilitate illicit financial flows and smuggling of industrial equipment and weapons, potentially fueling broader insecurity.
He commended successive governments for interventions including the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Operation Vanguard, Operation Halt, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), and the Responsible Community Mining Scheme. However, he acknowledged that the persistence of illegal mining points to deeper governance and institutional challenges.
Participants at the seminar examined how illegal small-scale mining has attracted both local and foreign actors due to lucrative returns and weak enforcement mechanisms. Discussions focused on the true extent of illegal mining, its existential threat, the effectiveness of response mechanisms, and the reasons behind the limited success of past interventions. They also sought realistic, actionable measures to galvanise cooperation between state and non-state actors to curb the menace.
Air Commodore Akrong reiterated that as a centre of excellence in research, training, and policy dialogue, the KAIPTC remains committed to providing an open and trusted platform for constructive engagement on national and regional security challenges. He expressed optimism that the seminar would “generate actionable insights that contribute meaningfully to the fight against illegal mining.”
The seminar forms part of KAIPTC’s ongoing “Reflections on Security Series,” a platform designed to promote open and evidence-based discussions on complex national and regional security challenges, bringing together stakeholders from academia, civil society, the media, security services, the extractive sector, and traditional authorities.
