President John Dramani Mahama has declared that military forces will maintain a permanent presence in forest reserves recently reclaimed from illegal miners to ensure operators do not return to the sites.
According to the President, the decision stems from past experiences where illegal miners swiftly reoccupied forest reserves immediately after military task forces concluded their operations and withdrew.
He confirmed that all nine forest reserves previously designated as red zones—owing to severe environmental degradation and the presence of heavily armed illegal miners—have now been fully cleared, with troops stationed on the ground to safeguard the areas.
“We have now cleared all nine of those red zones. There are no galamsey operators in those forest reserves, and we have stationed soldiers there to ensure that the illegal miners do not return. The soldiers will remain in those areas,” he stated.
President Mahama disclosed this when a delegation of chiefs from the Western North Region paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House. During the meeting, he appealed for deeper collaboration with traditional authorities to sustain the ongoing anti-galamsey campaign.
Explaining the necessity of the prolonged military deployment, he noted that past efforts collapsed because illegal miners returned the moment soldiers handed security duties back to forest guards.
“Whenever forest guards went there, they were fired upon, and some lost their lives,” he explained, highlighting the mortal danger field officers faced.
The President urged traditional leaders to actively support government interventions, particularly in communities where local youth and certain traditional figures have resisted operations carried out by the National Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Illegal Mining (NAIMOS).
He stressed that traditional authorities remain central to the crusade since they live among the people and possess the local leverage required to dismantle the networks sustaining illegal mining.
Addressing recent enforcement conflicts, President Mahama expressed deep concern over incidents where military personnel discharged firearms during operations, resulting in tragic fatalities.
He emphasised that enhanced community dialogue and partnership with traditional leaders are vital to prevent further loss of life while safeguarding the nation’s forest cover and water resources.
On land reclamation, the President revealed that Goldbod has partnered with the military to execute a comprehensive programme aimed at restoring destroyed forest reserves and replanting them with economic trees. Under the initiative, heavy earth-moving equipment will level the degraded terrain before the Forestry Commission and the military commence reforestation.
Furthermore, President Mahama announced that the Minister for Finance has allocated GH¢400 million in the 2027 Budget to recruit additional Blue Water Guards. The expanded force will patrol river bodies and step up operations against illegal mining operations on water paths.
He noted that the guards have strict instructions to seize and decommission changfang machines on sight. While several machines have already been destroyed—resulting in cleared main river channels—he admitted that illicit mining along smaller tributaries continues to wash mud and silt into major water bodies.
President Mahama maintained that alongside strict law enforcement, the government is determined to address the underlying economic drivers forcing young people into illegal mining.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
