Story by, Paul Mensah Nsor
Accra, Ghana - The HELP Foundation Africa, a civil society organization working on environmental governance and community resilience, has called on the Government of Ghana to treat the galamsey crisis as a national security emergency. The Foundation raised alarm over the increasing takeover of illegal mining sites by armed groups, who have attacked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officers, journalists, and National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP/NAIMOS) personnel in recent weeks.
Speaking in Accra, Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah, Executive Director of HELP Foundation Africa, described the situation as an “environmental insurgency undermining state authority and threatening Ghana’s peace and stability.” He emphasized that the armed galamsey gangs are well-financed and politically protected, endangering officers, journalists, and communities, and eroding public trust in the rule of law.
HELP Foundation Africa outlined a multi-level security response, emphasizing collaboration between National Security, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, District Security Councils (DISECs), and the Minerals Commission. The recommended actions include:
National Security Coordination: Lead and supervise intelligence-driven operations to identify and disarm armed mining groups.
Ghana Armed Forces, NAIMOS, and Police: Secure high-risk areas, protect EPA, Journalist and field teams, and maintain peace during site clearances.
District Security Councils (DISECs): Set up joint intelligence desks including assembly members, traditional leaders, and police.
Local Police Commands: Intensify patrols, monitor movement of excavators, fuel, and explosives, and dismantle local supply chains that sustain armed miners.
HELP Foundation Africa is calling for joint investigations by EOCO, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), and the Bank of Ghana into illegal mining funding sources. The organization insists that politicians, financiers, and chiefs who sponsor or shield galamsey operations must face swift prosecution and asset confiscation.
The Foundation condemned the recent wave of attacks on journalists and EPA officers, describing them as acts of “eco-terrorism” that must attract national outrage and firm response. HELP Foundation Africa urged the deployment of Rapid Response Units for emergency extractions in high-risk operations and provision of insurance and hazard compensation for all government and NGO personnel engaged in environmental enforcement.
The Foundation proposed the creation of a National Restoration and Rehabilitation Corps to employ affected youth in reforestation, river desilting, and ecological recovery efforts across polluted mining areas. This initiative could transform “former galamsey youth into environmental protectors.”
In its concluding remarks, HELP Foundation Africa stated that the galamsey menace now poses a grave threat to Ghana’s sovereignty, economy, and human security. “If armed groups are allowed to overrun our forests, rivers, and communities, then Ghana loses its moral and territorial sovereignty,” Yamoah warned. “We must act now with courage, coordination, and national unity to restore security, dignity, and environmental justice.”
