Ghana’s Interior Minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately transfer all regional, divisional, and district police commanders stationed in mining zones, intensifying efforts to curb illegal small-scale mining, known locally as galamsey.
The move targets officers who have held prolonged postings in these areas without successfully addressing the illicit activity, which has caused severe environmental damage and contaminated water resources.
Affected commanders will be reassigned to non-mining regions, while incoming officers face a three-month probation period to demonstrate progress in enforcing anti-galamsey measures. “If they don’t perform, we will keep making changes until we see results,” Mubarak, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asawase, stated during a meeting with Imams and Zongo Chiefs in Kumasi. He emphasized the directive would proceed despite reported pressure on the IGP to reconsider.
The order reflects escalating government urgency to tackle galamsey, a practice linked to deforestation, river pollution, and lost state revenue. Security agencies have repeatedly struggled to dismantle well-connected networks, often accused of colluding with local officials. The Interior Ministry’s latest strategy aims to disrupt potential complacency or corruption by rotating personnel, a tactic previously deployed with limited success.
Mubarak reiterated the administration’s commitment to “strengthen law enforcement” in mining regions, though past initiatives, including military crackdowns and equipment seizures, have faced setbacks due to logistical challenges and community resistance.
Ghana’s reliance on rotational policing underscores systemic challenges in combating galamsey, which employs over 1 million people and contributes to livelihoods in impoverished regions. While frequent transfers may deter long-term collusion between officers and miners, critics argue such measures risk eroding institutional knowledge crucial for sustained enforcement. The three-month probation period also raises questions about feasibility, given the complexity of illegal mining networks.Historically, similar directives have yielded temporary declines in galamsey, only for activity to resurge. Experts suggest pairing enforcement with economic alternatives for miners, as well as tighter oversight of licensing for legal small-scale operations. With Ghana losing an estimated $2.3 billion annually to illegal mining, according to the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Initiative, the success of this latest effort may hinge on balancing punitive measures with broader structural reforms.
