President John Dramani Mahama has announced a strategic shift in the fight against illegal mining, declaring that his administration will now focus on prosecuting the powerful financiers and masterminds behind the crisis rather than only low-level offenders.
Delivering his 2026 State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Friday, the President described illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as a grave threat to Ghana’s environment, water bodies, public health and national security.
He acknowledged that although enforcement actions in recent years have led to numerous arrests and prosecutions, they have largely targeted small-scale operators while the key sponsors remain untouched.
“Mr Speaker, prosecution of persons engaged in illegal mining has been intense,” President Mahama told lawmakers. However, he admitted that previous efforts often pursued those at the operational level instead of dismantling the networks behind the activities.
“In all these galamsey operations, there are big fish who never get caught,” he stated, signalling what he described as a decisive change in approach.
To address the gap, the President announced the deployment of specialised prosecutorial teams mandated to fast-track illegal mining cases and strengthen evidence presentation in court. The teams will also pursue the confiscation and forfeiture of equipment and proceeds linked to the illicit trade.
President Mahama revealed that at least 140 communities, including several towns and villages, have been identified as highly vulnerable to illegal mining activities.
The renewed strategy aims to dismantle the financial and logistical networks sustaining galamsey operations, which have severely degraded forest reserves and polluted major river bodies across the country.
By shifting attention to the financiers and beneficiaries — the so-called “big fish” — the government says it intends to tackle the root of the problem and restore environmental integrity nationwide.
