President John Dramani Mahama has urged traditional leaders to support the government’s anti-galamsey campaign, warning that resistance to enforcement operations has led to violent clashes and deaths in some communities.
He appealed on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, when he met with the Western Regional House of Chiefs at the Jubilee House.
Mahama said chiefs could help prevent confrontations by using their influence to encourage community members to cooperate with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and other security personnel.
“We need the help of our chiefs in the fights against Galamsey because you live in the community with the people and sometimes NAIMOS is doing a good job, but sometimes we go into some communities and the youth and the traditional authorities and everybody, you know, fights back at NAIMOS,” he said.
The President expressed concern that some confrontations had resulted in security personnel firing their weapons, leading to fatalities.
He said closer cooperation with traditional authorities was needed to avoid further deaths and protect the country’s water bodies and forest reserves.
As part of efforts to intensify the crackdown, Mahama announced that an additional GH¢400 million had been allocated in the 2027 Budget to recruit more Blue Water Guards to patrol water bodies.
He said the guards would continue targeting changfan machines used in illegal mining, noting that several had already been destroyed.
The President, however, said pollution remained a challenge because mud and silt from tributaries continued flowing into river channels even after mining equipment had been removed.
He urged traditional authorities to help secure community cooperation as the government steps up efforts to tackle illegal mining and protect Ghana’s natural resources.
