The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has called on government to adopt tougher and more radical measures in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), including declaring a state of emergency in hard-hit mining areas.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its Annual Plenary Assembly in Damongo in the Savannah Region, the Conference described the extent of environmental damage caused by galamsey as “a profound moral crisis and a spiritual challenge.”
The Bishops noted that a truly synodal Church views creation not as a mere resource for exploitation, but as “a covenantal partner deserving of respect and care.”
Citing recent data, the communiqué revealed that Ghana has lost over 5,252 hectares of forest reserves to illegal mining in 2025 alone, with 44 out of 288 forest reserves now classified as degraded. It added that an estimated 75% of the nation’s rivers are polluted, largely due to mercury and cyanide used in unregulated mining.
While acknowledging steps such as the creation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Bishops insisted that the severity of the destruction requires a far more robust national response.
They urged President John Dramani Mahama to roll out stronger interventions, including:
Declaring a state of emergency in high-risk illegal mining zones
Ensuring swift and impartial prosecution of offenders, regardless of political affiliation
Fully reclaiming lands damaged by illegal and irresponsible mining
Instituting transparent national reporting on water quality, forest cover, and food safety
The GCBC also praised chiefs and queen mothers who have taken courageous positions against galamsey in their areas and encouraged others to do the same.
The Bishops further appealed to all Ghanaians to take ownership of the fight, stressing that the country’s land and water bodies must be “sanitised and healed” for the sake of present and future generations.
