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The destruction caused by mining activities in water bodies and forest reserves is bad enough to require “pretty tough” measures to contain the situation, a former Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, has said.

In his view, although the destruction of mining equipment by the military in such areas was harsh, the scale of destruction of the environment called for a firm approach to root out the canker.

“Nobody wants to see anything being burnt and the military pulled into what would otherwise be a police function. But where law and order is failing, sometimes we are obliged to see these very seemingly extreme measures.

“Some of the measures, if they have been extreme, can be moderated, but where you find very recalcitrant actors on the ground, they certainly need to be dealt with very firmly and with a firm approach,” Dr Chambas said.

WAYLead Fellowship

Dr Chambas was speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the 2021 West African Young Leaders (WAYLead) Fellowship Camp, a youth mentorship programme organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in Abokobi, near Adenta, last Saturday.

The one-year programme, which focused on young adults across Anglophone West Africa, formed part of strategies to support the quest to increase the quality of citizen participation in West Africa.

Operation Halt

In its bid to tackle the impact of illegal mining, also known as galamsey, the government has deployed the military in a special exercise dubbed: Operation Halt, to stop all mining activities, particularly in water bodies and forest reserves.

The team has seized and destroyed, by burning, mining equipment, including excavators and changfans.

This has affected some small-scale miners and companies which have licences to operate.

However, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in defending the exercise, said some of the companies which had licences were exploiting the situation to mine in water bodies and forest reserves, which is against the rule.

Engage small-scale miners

To bring peace and resolve the issues that had risen out of the exercise, Dr Chambas urged the government to engage licensed small-scale miners who had been affected by the actions of the military and take their concerns on board.

“If they have been licensed and are recognised by the state, then what we need to do is sit down with them to discuss and find mutually beneficial approaches to solving the problem,” he said.

Dr Chambas said the issue of illegal mining and its degradation of the environment were not a problem for only Ghana but the continent at large.

While expressing delight that the issue had gained national attention in Ghana, he expressed fear that Africa could lose its natural resources if the menace was not tackled head-on.

Solve Africa’s problems

Dr Chambas commended the beneficiaries of the WAYLead programme for participating in the project and urged them to commit to solving problems bordering on humanity, climate change, gender inequality and progress of the continent.

“For me, the youth are the hope of our continent. It is important for us to equip them with the right skills and guidance, so that they will be empowered to address the issues affecting the development of the continent,” he said.

The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, urged the beneficiaries of the project to put the knowledge they had acquired into practice.

“Demands will be placed on your capacity to solve problems innovatively. But, most important, you have to hold on to the values you are nurturing now. When you are tested, that is what will differentiate you from other leaders and help you take the decisions that benefit the people you have pledged to serve,” he told the participants.