Galamsey threatens Ghana’s diplomatic relations with neighbours – Zanetor

The escalating illegal mining activities in Ghana are threatening diplomatic relations between the country and its immediate neighbours in the West African sub-region.

Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, who made this known, said the continued pollution of shared river systems by illegal mining activities in Ghana had been of grave concern to the country’s immediate neighbours.

She cautioned that the contamination of critical transboundary rivers, such as the Tano and Bia, could cause toxic waters to spill across Ghana’s borders into Côte d’Ivoire, elevating illegal mining from an environmental crisis to a severe threat to regional diplomacy and national security.

Addressing a national conference on small-scale mining for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Kumasi, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed that the situation demanded immediate, coordinated action from the government, traditional leaders, security agencies and local communities to address the illegal mining menace.

She further noted that illegal mining was fuelling broader security crises, warning that illicit proceeds from these activities were allegedly being used to finance violent extremism and terrorism in parts of the Sahel region.

According to her, Ghana cannot afford to let complacency or silence render the nation complicit in activities that jeopardise security across the sub-region.Ghana Business News

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings also warned that the destruction of forests and the toxic pollution of water bodies were severely undermining the country’s food security and exposing future generations to grave health hazards.

She emphasised that Ghana must not prioritise gold production at the expense of agriculture, water security and other vital economic sectors.

The Minister cautioned that impending weather anomalies, compounded by the escalating impacts of climate change, could severely exacerbate the nation’s environmental challenges, particularly as rainfall patterns become increasingly erratic and temperatures rise.