Mr Kwadwo Kyei Yamoah, Executive Director of the Human Environment and Livelihood Platform (HELP) Foundation Africa, has called on Ghanaian authorities to focus on the financiers, kingpins, and political sponsors behind illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as a key strategy to end the crisis at its source.
Mr Yamoah emphasised “We must follow the money, not the shovel. One financier stopped equals dozens of illegal pits shut down.”
He noted that targeting political sponsors would restore accountability and act as a deterrent, explaining that dismantling the top of the chain cripples the operational capacity of the illicit industry.
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He explained that the so-called operators on the ground, the impoverished youth digging in rivers and farmlands, are not the true drivers. The kingpins and financiers provide capital, machinery, fuel, and mercury essential for mining, while politicians and local elites often protect these networks, tipping off miners before raids or blocking enforcement.
These arrangements perpetuate corruption and political protection, eroding public trust and demoralising honest enforcement officers.
Mr Yamoah highlighted the environmental consequences of industrial-scale illegal operations, which devastate rivers, forests, and farmlands through heavy machinery and toxic chemicals.
He stressed that focusing on financiers and equipment suppliers would yield the greatest environmental benefits by stopping river siltation, mercury pollution, and deforestation at the source.
He further noted the economic dynamics: ordinary miners earn daily wages, while profits flow to top actors, often laundered into legal businesses. By seizing illegal proceeds, prosecuting financiers, and exposing political beneficiaries, the state can make galamsey economically unviable and ensure fairness and deterrence. Targeting top actors demonstrates that the law applies equally, reducing resentment, social injustice, and distrust of authorities in affected communities.
Mr Yamoah called for coordinated efforts between security agencies, financial intelligence units, and anti-corruption bodies to strengthen institutions and promote sustainable governance against natural resource crimes.
He stressed that effectively combating galamsey aligns with Ghana‘s environmental, climate, and mining reforms, supports sustainable resource management, climate resilience, and contributes to SDG targets on clean water, life on land, and good governance.
