Ghanaian forestry officials faced violent resistance while attempting to halt illegal mining operations in Jimira Forest Reserve’s Compartment 34 (Bentiko-Pakyi section) on June 28, 2025.
According to task force accounts relayed to JoyNews, armed assailants obstructed access to the protected area—marking the third such intervention thwarted by violence since May.
A senior officer disclosed that during a May 27 operation supported by seven Nkawie Divisional Police officers, miners armed with machetes and firearms blocked the team’s entry. “One officer seated in our vehicle sustained multiple machete strikes,” the official stated, adding that gunfire damaged a Forestry Commission vehicle. No fatalities were reported beyond the injured officer.
The pattern reflects escalating tensions in Ghana’s forest reserves amid intensified anti-galamsey operations. Forestry Commission sources confirm persistent illegal mining activity in Jimira despite prior enforcement attempts. Officials attribute the violence to organized groups protecting illicit operations in the resource-rich reserve.
Environment Minister Opoku Prempeh condemned the attacks, vowing reinforced security coordination. The incident underscores challenges facing Ghana’s environmental protection efforts as illegal miners deploy increasingly militarized tactics. Investigations continue with joint police-military patrols deployed to the area.
