Three arrested as NAIMOS launches Operation Green Shield in Atewa Forest

Three people have been arrested in the Atewa Forest Reserve as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) steps up efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and protect the forest under a new operation dubbed Operation Green Shield.

The military-backed operation, carried out on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, seeks to disrupt illegal mining activities, clear affected areas and maintain a security presence to prevent miners from returning to the reserve.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, described the destruction of Ghana’s forest reserves through illegal mining as a national emergency, warning that the practice poses a serious threat to the environment, water resources and the future of the country.

“We are at war with bad people who have decided that they will make money so that all of us will die,” he declared during the operation.

Mr Buah revealed that illegal mining had affected 44 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, resulting in the destruction of about 8,900 hectares of land. He said the affected area was equivalent to approximately 12,500 football fields.

He cautioned that restoring the damaged forest reserves would place a significant financial burden on the country, with the cost of rehabilitation estimated to run into billions of dollars.

The minister noted that despite government efforts to restrict the movement of excavators into forest reserves, illegal miners continued to devise new ways to carry out their activities, including a method locally referred to as “one leg” mining.

He further disclosed that authorities had seized and spread over 6,000 excavators, while introducing tighter controls to prevent the equipment from being used for illegal mining.

As part of efforts to sustain the operation, the government, working with the Ghana Armed Forces, intends to establish a camp within the Atewa Forest to maintain security and deter further encroachment.

Mr Buah praised the security personnel involved in the exercise and urged them to remain committed to protecting the country’s natural resources. He stressed that the government would continue its efforts to combat illegal mining and safeguard the environment.

He also cautioned chiefs and metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives against allowing illegal mining to persist in their areas, insisting that traditional authorities and local government officials had a responsibility to help protect the environment.

The minister said the government planned to strengthen accountability through proposed legislative reforms, particularly regarding the roles of traditional leaders and local officials in processes connected to mining.

He called on the public to avoid politicising the fight against illegal mining, warning that its effects went beyond environmental destruction and posed risks to public health and future generations.

The Director of Operations at NAIMOS, Colonel K. S. Appiah, said Operation Green Shield would focus on disrupting illegal mining, clearing affected locations, maintaining security and eventually transferring responsibility for protecting the area to the Forestry Commission.

“The mission is to disrupt, clear and hold and transition,” he explained, adding that the security teams would continue identifying and addressing illegal mining activities in other locations.

Under the transition arrangement, the Forestry Commission is expected to deploy forest guards to the Atewa Forest to maintain surveillance and prevent miners from returning after the initial enforcement phase.

The Atewa Forest Reserve is an important ecological area and watershed that supports the Birim, Ayensu and Densu river systems. Its protection is therefore considered essential to preserving biodiversity and securing water resources for communities that depend on the rivers.

The latest operation forms part of broader efforts by the authorities to curb illegal mining in protected areas and prevent further damage to Ghana’s forest reserves.

Also read:

• Galamsey threatens Ghana’s forest reserves, Atewa could be lost – Afenyo-Markin warns

• Forestry Commission arrests 12 illegal miners in Atewa Forest