Galamsey has gone beyond civilians; it is now a transnational organized crime – Kwesi Aning

Security specialist and consultant Prof. Kwesi Aning has stated that illegal mining, known as “galamsey”, in Ghana is no longer limited to ordinary citizens but has now grown into a transnational organised crime.

He stressed the significant involvement of foreigners in these activities, which cause serious environmental damage and social disruption.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, Prof. Aning explained that galamsey operations are causing serious damage to the country’s water bodies including rivers.

Speaking in response to JoyNews’ In his latest documentary, ‘Poisoned Rivers’, he highlighted the risk of losing these vital resources if immediate action is not taken.

In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, he added: “This goes beyond the ordinary citizen, we are talking about levels of collusion, tackling every single factor of the state and organised transnational criminality of citizens from different countries whose activities pose an existential threat to Ghana.”

Prof Aning noted that the problem has escalated beyond the control of ordinary citizens. “We are talking about collusion involving various factors of the state and organised transnational crime networks,” he stated.

He also stressed that galamsey creates tensions between Ghana and Ivory Coast. “Even more worrying is that the money made from these activities jeopardizes our international reputation. It contributes to illicit financial flows and the financing of violence,” he added.

The security expert raised concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s risk assessments. “This situation raises fundamental questions about the quality of the risk assessments that we carry out in this country,” he said.

Prof Aning criticised Ghanaian leaders for failing to address the problem. “Leaders are either colluding, unable or unwilling to use the power entrusted to them for the benefit of future generations. Instead, they are deliberately allowing foreign actors to exploit our resources, which is not only shameful but also disgraceful,” he said.

He specifically addressed the involvement of Chinese nationals in illegal mining, noting that they use harmful methods to extract gold and leave without regard to the damage they cause.

“Someone is giving them visas to come here,” he said. He also pointed to the Aisha Huang case as evidence of state incompetence and collusion.

Mr. Aning stressed that Ghana’s situation is unique as it has to voluntarily destroy its water bodies without any threat of war. “In wartime, you destroy water bodies to prevent the enemy from having access to water. But we are doing it to ourselves without any such threat,” he noted.

He concluded by noting that Ghana’s share of galamsey investment is relatively small compared to foreign involvement. “Galamsey poses, and will continue to pose, an existential threat, both directly and indirectly,” he warned.

Also read: GWL warns of serious water supply problems in Cape Coast and Elmina due to ‘galamsey’ in Pra River

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