Accra — Barely weeks after police cleared parts of Ashanti Region of illegal mining, the galamsey operators have returned with force, reclaiming several forest reserves once declared secured by the Inspector General of Police’s taskforce.
Investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has confirmed that armed groups, aided by excavators, have moved back into protected areas in the Atwima Mponua District. The affected reserves include Offin Shelter Belt at Anwia Futu and Apemkro, the Tano Offin Forest Reserve at Kyekyewere, and the Jimira and Jimira Extension reserves.
According to eyewitness accounts, two men identified only as Ishmael and Emmanuel are leading separate groups of miners in the Anwia Futu and Kyekyewere sections. These areas were only recently cleared by police operations, raising questions about how quickly the miners have returned and entrenched themselves.
By law, no license is granted for small-scale mining in Ghana’s forest reserves. Yet, the presence of armed operators suggests either a collapse in enforcement or quiet complicity from state actors. Residents and observers are pointing fingers at the security services. With the police taskforce withdrawn, divisional commanders appear reluctant to confront the miners, raising suspicions of interference from higher authorities.
“What is the point of deploying men to flush out galamsey if they are only pulled out later, leaving the land open to re-invasion?” one environmental activist asked. The silence of state officials, some argue, signals fear or deliberate neglect. Others believe influential figures with political and business interests are shielding the operators.
The situation highlights a dangerous cycle. Government taskforces move in, seize equipment, and chase miners out. Yet once the security presence thins, the operators return stronger and more prepared. The result is continued destruction of river bodies and forests, with local communities caught in between.
As the debate over illegal mining intensifies, the question remains whether the state truly lacks the capacity to end galamsey, or whether the will to confront the powerful interests behind it is missing. For now, the forest reserves in Atwima Mponua are once again in the grip of excavators, guns, and impunity.
