|
The
chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as
“galamsey” — was a major issue during Ghana’s presidential
election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters,
triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing
government.
Ghana's President John Mahama inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task
Force, saying its creation “signals our readiness to act
decisively.”
The task force — comprised of officers from various security
agencies and the military — is empowered to arrest and detain
suspects. It follows the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board
agency in January as the sole legal entity managing all
transactions and exports of gold mined in the country by small
mining companies.
Mahama said that along with the agency, the task force will
strive to curb the proliferation of illegal miners and
“dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold.”
He touted what he described as the rebound of the cedi, Ghana's
currency, which has had a poor track record against the dollar,
as a result of setting up the Ghana Gold Board.
The illegal gold mining industry has resulted in significant
economic losses and environmental degradation for Ghana,
Africa's largest gold-producing country. It has flourished as a
result of a massive slump in Ghana's economic fortunes as
millions of young people struggle to find jobs.
Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold
mining after many rivers were polluted, becoming a political
hot-button issue in the election. Mahama, who won the election,
promised in his campaign to clamp down on the practice.
“Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold
smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without
fear or favor,” he said Tuesday.
Mahama emphasized how the task force members would wear body
cameras, which allows for accountability and monitoring of their
actions in real time. However, many analysts say past attempts
to curb illegal gold mining have not produced tangible results.
“The task force can help," Festus Aboagye, an Accra-based
security analyst, told The Associated Press. But "the challenge,
as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.”
___
Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
