The Forestry Commission’s Forest Services Division (FSD) has warned illegal miners that it will not give up any part of the Western Region’s forest reserves to galamsey.
Speaking at a news conference at the Takoradi Forest District Office in October, Western Regional Manager Nana Poku Bosompem outlined the division’s operations between January and September 2026, including progress made and the growing difficulties faced by forestry officials.
The Western Region has 19 forest reserves across the Tarkwa, Asankragua and Juaboso districts, covering 209,333 hectares. It also contains Ghana’s only wet evergreen forest, the Ankasa Conservation Area.
Seven of the reserves have been affected by illegal mining, with about 1,533 hectares of forest destroyed. Mr Bosompem said some mining activity was concealed beneath the forest canopy.
“Some of the mining is done under the canopy. You go in at a standard distance and see nothing; it appears intact. But when you go underneath, that is when you see trenches,” he said.
The FSD said 159 suspects arrested between January and September were involved in 36 cases currently before the Tarkwa Circuit Court. Although authorities prevented heavy machinery from entering the reserves and immobilised three excavators, miners have increasingly turned to smaller machines.
“From January to September ending, a total of 1,103 Changfa machines have been burnt,” Mr Bosompem said. “Just this weekend alone, over 40 more were destroyed.”
Each Changfa machine costs about 20,000 Ghana Cedis, meaning equipment worth more than 28 million Ghana Cedis has been lost by miners this year. The FSD also destroyed 1,422 industrial pumping machines and 387 temporary structures during the same period.
‘Red zone’ operation
Particular concern was raised about the Wassa Asamang enclave in the Subri River Forest Reserve, which Mr Bosompem described as a “red zone” where forestry officials cannot safely operate.
During an operation on Saturday, October 17, officials found hundreds of vehicles, trucks and motorbikes in the reserve. Mr Bosompem compared the scene to a busy port or a DVLA office.
“It is a representation of ECOWAS,” he said. “People from all walks of life, including foreign nationals, have besieged the area.”
A rapid-response team of fewer than 30 personnel arrested 20 suspects but was forced to withdraw after encountering crowds blocking roads, carrying machetes and using what the manager called “spiritual fortifications”.
The FSD classifies reserves by colour according to the level of threat: green areas are controlled by forest guards; yellow areas require rapid-response support; orange areas involve major incidents requiring larger teams; and red areas are armed no-go zones.
Mr Bosompem said officials had cleared major sites, including the Almighty enclave, but miners repeatedly returned. Addressing reports that some security officers benefited from the illegal trade, he said: “We hear stories that officers are beneficiaries. We don’t care about the rumours. We are focused on the mission.”
He warned miners in Wassa Essamang and nearby areas that enforcement would intensify.
“Your 15 minutes of freedom is over,” he said. “The days of frustrating forest officers are over. We are going to unleash the full force of the state and that of the Forest Commission in the coming days.”
Any equipment left in the reserve would be destroyed, he added, warning of a “disaster of epic proportions” for those involved. “We are never, ever going to cede even one square metre of our forest reserves to miners,” he said.
The Forestry Commission is seeking military and police support to dismantle the fortified mining camps, which it says pose a major security threat to the Western Region.
