Galamsey

[3] Historically, galamsey referred to traditional small-scale mining practices in Ghana, where local communities would gather and search for gold in rivers and streams.

[4] In Ghana, those involved in these activities are called galamseyers, and in neighbouring Francophone countries such as Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, they are often referred to as orpailleurs.

[5] Ghana's widespread illegal mining activities have caused extensive destruction to the gold-rich West African country's forests.

[12] The causes of illegal gold mining include bureaucratic licensing regimes, weak legal frameworks, political and traditional leadership failures, and corrupt officials.

[17][18] Galamsey activities have depleted Ghana's forest cover and caused water pollution, due to the crude and unregulated nature of the mining process.

[19][20] In March 2017, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, gave galamseyers a three-week ultimatum to stop their activities or be prepared to face the law.

[22] On 21 September 2024, a local organization called Democracy Hub launched a protest aimed at pressuring the government of Ghana to enforce measures to stop galamsey.

[23] The action lasted three days, with protesters demanding a direct and decisive intervention from President Nana Akufo-Addo, in the form of a presidential order to stop all illegal mining activities, particularly in forest reserves and along key rivers,[24] such as the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim, which have all been polluted with harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide.

[30][31] In September 2024, China's ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, condemned illegal mining in the country and warned Chinese citizens that the embassy will not assist those caught breaking the law.