Story by: Akua Oteng Amponsah
China’s Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has sparked controversy by stating that Ghana cannot eliminate illegal mining, known as galamsey, and should instead focus on managing its environmental impact.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Accra, Ambassador Defa blamed Ghanaians for facilitating the illegal activities, saying, “To my understanding, in this country, you can never eliminate those small mines. Those mines, you will have illegalities involved in them.”
He added, “We need to find ways to solve this problem… The government needs to work on a policy to eliminate the pollution of waters and forests.”
The ambassador dismissed the notion that Chinese nationals are primarily responsible for galamsey, stating, “I don’t understand why when people say galamsey, they equate it to Chinese… Actually, it is not Chinese. It didn’t originate from China.”
He suggested that many Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining are migrant workers brought in by locals seeking to exploit the sector.
“Some of those who were caught red-handed are just migrant workers,” he said, expressing frustration over being associated with galamsey on social media.
Ambassador Defa also highlighted the role of Chinese companies in Ghana’s infrastructure development, asking, “A lot of your projects are built by Chinese companies. Your roads, your ports, etc., are built by Chinese companies. Do any normal Ghanaian people know about this?”
