The National Coalition on Mining has cautioned that deploying the military and police to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, will not achieve lasting results.
According to the Coalition, the government must adopt a more strategic and sustainable approach if it truly intends to win the fight against the menace.
A member of the Coalition, Emmanuel Ellimah, on Sunday, October 19, said past military interventions have proven ineffective, as illegal mining continues to thrive despite several operations over the years.
“Under former President Kufuor, we had Operation Flashout. During President Mahama’s first term, there was Operation Cowleg. Under President Akufo-Addo, we’ve had Operation Vanguard, Operation Halt One, and Operation Halt Two,” he recounted.
“If the military could stop galamsey, we wouldn’t still be having this conversation. That’s why we are calling for a shift in the measures being applied to tackle this problem,” he added.
Mr. Ellimah emphasized the need for stronger community involvement, better regulation of small-scale mining, and enforcement of environmental standards to ensure long-term solutions.
Meanwhile, the government has put together an inter-security agency, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), to embark on a brutal fight against galamsey. Since their commissioning, the group has made some arrests in executing their mandates.
