Miners from hell

In Ghana, ten illegal miners, including seven Ghanaians and three Chinese nationals, were arrested in the Ashanti region for damaging the…

In Ghana, ten illegal miners, including seven Ghanaians and three Chinese nationals, were arrested in the Ashanti region for damaging the Oda River Forest Reserve. The Bekwai Forest District and the Rapid Response Teams conducted the operation. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Federal Government shifted its stance on terrorism and banditry sponsors, now accusing unnamed powerful Nigerians rather than foreign illegal miners. Dele Alake, the solid minerals minister, informed the House of Representatives that these influential individuals fund terrorism in mineral-rich areas. Alake’s disclosure contradicted prior claims blaming foreign miners and advocated for increased funding for exploration, citing an estimated $700 billion in Nigeria’s solid minerals.

The battle against illegal mining, known in Ghana as “galamsey”, has been a prolonged and challenging endeavour. While illegal mining and terrorism are seen as distinct issues, their connections run deep. The freedom to mine without boundaries is closely intertwined with politics and election outcomes in Ghana. Regrettably, galamsey operators understand the significance of their votes for incumbent political parties. They’ve exploited the political vulnerabilities of those in power, particularly during election years marked by intense competition. As a result, illegal mining persists not solely due to weak state capacity but primarily due to political leniency and corruption within law enforcement. It is widely acknowledged that government officials, politicians, and even local chiefs have associations with foreigners who infiltrate Ghana’s forests and water bodies for illegal mining activities. These linkages and corrupt alliances make it challenging to take decisive action against illegal mining, as cracking down heavily on it could pose the risk of losing an election. This creates a fear that politicians seeking funds for their election campaigns might engage with terrorists who offer support in exchange for access to mineral resources like gold. In regions where illegal mining thrives, youth unemployment rates tend to be high, providing an entry point for terrorists to infiltrate these communities. Between 2017 and 2021, Ghana’s renewed efforts against galamsey resulted in the arrest of numerous Chinese illegal miners, either as financiers or labourers at these illegal sites. Notably, Aisha Huang, a prominent figure in illegal mining circles, was convicted of mining offences and sentenced to four and a half years in prison with a fine of GH₵48,000 ($3317). Huang, also known as En Huang, faced charges for engaging in mining activities without a licence, enabling others in illegal mining operations, employing foreigners illegally, and re-entering Ghana despite being prohibited. Ghana has around 250 registered small-scale mining groups and 90 mine support service companies. However, a multitude of illegal miners operate without permits or adherence to the law. Many of these illegal miners receive backing from foreign nationals, especially from China, who provide them with both equipment and financial resources. An estimated 200,000 individuals were engaged in galamsey as of 2017, with nearly three million livelihoods connected. In 2017 alone, Ghana attracted around 50,000 “gold seekers” from China, and one prominent galamsey figure allegedly employed over 300 Chinese migrant workers alongside several Ghanaians. The struggle against galamsey in Ghana remains a complex and multifaceted challenge. The entanglement of illegal mining with political influences, corruption, and socioeconomic ramifications paints a dire picture. The intertwined interests of politicians, officials and foreign actors have perpetuated the persistence of illegal mining despite ongoing efforts to curb it. While some strides have been made in prosecuting key figures and attempting to regulate the industry, the vast scale of illegal operations and their economic impact on communities underscores the formidable task ahead. In Nigeria, meanwhile, senior public officials are quite renowned for utterances that offer lots of speculation but little substance. Since 2016, government officials have alluded to national security and/or economic sabotage to “influential people” and “powerful domestic interests.” In all of these cases, the names of these persons are never revealed, and nobody is arrested or prosecuted. It has become a way of sending signals to certain individuals the government may be at loggerheads with, and laying the groundwork for hasty policy changes in the targeted sector. Nigeria’s mining sector is ridden with all the abnormalities that constitute mining in the Third World, such as lax regulations. The sector’s rampant corruption has facilitated the entry of numerous unregistered players. Foreign actors, particularly Chinese entities, have exploited this loophole through fraudulent licences. Also, the absence of state presence in many parts of the country means that areas where precious, rare earths are found in large quantities, especially in the North, easily become contested territories. Zamfara is one such case: its gold mines have become a battlefield of competing interests between bandits, civilians, foreigners, and rogue state actors. About a month ago, Mr Alake revealed the government’s plans to set up a special mining police force to tackle these issues. However, a lack of oversight and ungoverned spaces have hindered regulatory efforts, resulting in confusion and ineffective policy.