A Rocha Ghana warns of coercion in illegal mining

A Rocha Ghana has criticized the government's handling of illegal mining, known as galamsey, stating that current enforcement efforts are insufficient and lack necessary rigor. Daryl Bossu, the organization’s Deputy Executive Director, argued that the state has been too lenient, describing the approach as treating the issue with “kid gloves” compared to other national challenges.

Bossu highlighted that illegal mining operators use intimidation, coercion, and patronage to force local residents into participating in illegal activities. He noted that these networks create systems where community members feel they have no choice but to join, leading to a “survival of the fittest” environment.

Furthermore, the organization pointed to systematic negligence and a centralized enforcement model as key reasons for the problem's growth. Bossu suggested that enforcement should be decentralized to provide better leadership within mining communities and argued that without stronger law enforcement and compliance, efforts to formalize or modernize the sector will remain ineffective.