Galamsey Fight: A Rocha Ghana, 6 others to sue govt over menace

A Rocha Ghana, one of the leading environmental groups, in collaboration with six other civil society organizations intend to sue the government over illegal mining (galamsey) activities in forest reserves.

The other six groups are Kasa Ghana, Eco-Conscious Citizens, Tropenbos, Nature and Development Foundation, Civic Response, and Media Coalition Against Galamsey.

The groups are concerned about the devastating impact of mining in galamsey-prone areas.

According to the group, the passage of LI 2462 in 2022, which permits mining in Ghana’s forest reserves, has resulted in widespread destruction in protected areas and threatens the livelihoods of many Ghanaians.

In an emergency press briefing at the A Rocha head office in Accra, Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, stressed that their primary objective is to secure an injunction to halt mining and prospecting in forest reserves, thereby safeguarding the environment.

Daryl Bossu told the media that the group’s suit will challenge the legality of LI 2462.

“The Minerals Commission is still accepting applications to mine in forest reserves as recently as August 2024. Our case challenges the legality of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, that LI 2462 which we believe was laid in Parliament without the mandatory physical impact analysis in violation of the Public Financial Management Act

“This failure to follow due process renders the regulation null and void”.

This legal action comes at the time the incumbent government has set up a five-member ad hoc ministerial committee to engage stakeholders to evaluate the government’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

This comes on the instruction of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The committee will be chaired by the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, assisted by four other ministers.

The four others are Lands and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul, Employment Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah, and Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar.

The committee will assess the current strategies and policies aimed at halting galamsey activities and recommend any necessary reforms to strengthen the government’s efforts.

Additionally, they will examine the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and local authorities in their fight against illegal mining.