I’m yet to see anything meaningful in the illegal mining fight - Manasseh Azure Awuni

Ghanaian investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni is skeptical about the government's efforts to stop illegal mining, known as ‘galamsey’. He questions the seriousness and sustainability of these initiatives.

Speaking at Gold Coast University on May 9, Mr. Awuni noted high-profile announcements about banning illegal mining. He mentioned environmental projects like tree planting and water protection schemes. However, he believes these measures have historically failed.

“I’m not very enthused until we get to the implementation,” he said. “Banning illegal mining and launching initiatives are not new.” He recalled past failures, such as tree planting in northern Ghana under SADA.

Mr. Awuni expressed concerns that current strategies resemble ineffective ones from the past. “There is nothing being done differently,” he stated. He criticized the approach of sending soldiers to arrest a few people, saying it may be worse now.

He was particularly critical of the government's reluctance to prosecute foreign nationals involved in illegal mining. “The government has made it a policy not to prosecute the Chinese,” he remarked. “This doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m yet to see anything meaningful when it comes to fighting illegal mining,” Mr. Awuni concluded.