President John Dramani Mahama has announced significant progress in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, revealing that authorities have seized 135 excavators and nearly 200 firearms used by illegal miners.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Conference on Monday, October 19, 2026, the President disclosed that more than 8,200 items of equipment, including changfan machines and other mining tools, had been confiscated as part of the government’s anti-galamsey operations.
President Mahama said illegal miners had invaded 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, with some areas previously classified as high-risk red zones because of armed resistance. He confirmed that nine of these red zones had been cleared of illegal mining activities, paving the way for forest restoration.
The President estimated that galamsey had destroyed approximately 12,000 acres of land nationwide. To address the environmental damage, the government has allocated GH¢200 million to reclaim 5,000 acres of degraded land, with work expected to begin next year.
He also commended Newmont for its land reclamation initiatives and praised the Ghana Gold Board for awarding the Ghana Armed Forces a contract to restore 253 acres of land damaged by illegal mining in the Tano Nimri Forest.
As part of efforts to improve mining equipment monitoring, Mahama revealed that 6,060 excavators had been registered and detained at the ports, while 2,059 excavators had been fitted with tracking devices to help authorities monitor their movements and prevent misuse.
The government says these measures form part of broader efforts to combat illegal mining, protect Ghana’s forest reserves, restore degraded lands and safeguard the country’s water bodies and natural resources.
Source: newsthemegh.com