Accra: The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has declared Ghana’s illegal mining crisis, popularly known as galamsey, a human rights emergency. It warned that the phenomenon had become entrenched through reported political complicity and compromised security enforcement.
According to Ghana News Agency, this declaration follows a four-day Promotion Mission to Ghana, during which a high-level delegation from the Commission engaged with government officials, civil society groups, and development partners from September 29 to October 2, 2025. The mission, comprising Commissioners responsible for extractive industries, women’s rights, torture prevention, detention, and socio-economic rights, aimed to assess Ghana’s human rights situation and the impact of extractive activities.
Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, who is tasked with promoting human rights in Ghana and serves as the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, shared preliminary findings at a press conference in Accra. She stated that galamsey has evolved into one of the most significant threats to the country’s stability and human rights commitments.
While acknowledging Ghana’s progressive reforms in justice, security, and social protection, the mission identified galamsey as a severe challenge that undermines the environment, livelihoods, and fundamental rights. Preliminary findings revealed that rivers and streams in mining zones have been polluted, depriving communities of safe water and threatening public health. The devastation of cocoa farms and other agricultural lands has raised concerns about food insecurity and economic hardship for farmers.
The delegation also reported a social crisis, noting that children in mining communities are leaving classrooms for hazardous mining work. This, they observed, jeopardizes not only their right to education but also risks creating a generation trapped in cycles of illiteracy and exploitation.
The mission further highlighted reports of trafficking and sexual exploitation in galamsey areas, where women and girls face severe reproductive health risks and abuse due to poverty. The health of children in polluted mining zones is jeopardized by long-term effects linked to chemical contamination.
Equally concerning is the evidence of political and security force complicity in the persistence of galamsey. Stakeholders informed the delegation that certain political actors and some security personnel, tasked with stopping illegal mining, are instead benefitting from the activity. This has eroded public trust in official interventions and entrenched impunity, allowing galamsey to thrive despite repeated government crackdowns.
Recognizing the scale of the crisis, the Commission has called for Ghana to adopt a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to eliminate illegal mining. It urged the government to consider declaring key mining regions as security zones to facilitate decisive and sustained action. The Commissioners recommended establishing a high-level, independent investigation with strict anti-corruption safeguards to dismantle networks of political and security actors profiting from galamsey.
The mission’s recommendations extended beyond enforcement to address the socio-economic roots and consequences of galamsey. Public health was identified as an urgent priority, with a call for independent health impact assessments in affected areas and immediate treatment for communities exposed to mercury poisoning and related conditions.
On education, the Commission proposed comprehensive scholarships and school rehabilitation programs in mining areas to reduce dropout rates and rescue children already involved in mining. ‘The future of Ghana’s children cannot be sacrificed for short-term gains,’ the mission emphasized.
To support farmers, the Commission urged the creation of an emergency support fund for cocoa farmers and the rollout of a national land and water rehabilitation program. Additionally, it called for developing sustainable livelihood alternatives through vocational training, youth employment initiatives, and the formalization of small-scale mining. Special emphasis should be placed on engaging vulnerable groups such as the youth and migrant head porters, known as Kayayei, who are often drawn into illegal mining out of desperation.
The delegation argued that creating dignified alternatives and expanding opportunities in education, health, and employment are crucial for Ghana to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation that feeds the galamsey phenomenon. While recognizing Ghana’s broader commitment to human rights, the Commission warned that the persistence of galamsey could undermine much of the progress made.
Though the mission’s full report will be presented to the African Commission for adoption before being transmitted to the Government of Ghana, it urged swift action to confront galamsey with the urgency and coordination it demands.