“Galamsey’s real miners may not be holding the shovels” – Prof Appiagyei-Tua

According to a report by Ghanaweb on Saturday, Oct 31, 2026, a University of Ghana law professor has cautioned that the people digging at illegal mining sites may not be the ones who truly run galamsey, describing the trade as a well-organised criminal enterprise backed by powerful interests.

Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Tua, a Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Ghana School of Law, made the remarks on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday. He argued that the fight against illegal mining cannot succeed if it is aimed only at the operators found at mining sites.

In his view, galamsey has outgrown the image of individuals mining without permits. He described it as a transnational organised crime, one that thrives on profit and is sustained by coercion, violence and corruption.

The professor said he was deeply troubled by the scale of the problem and struggled to find the right words to express it. “This is a crime that seeks to make a profit through coercion, violence, and corruption,” he said.

He added that the networks behind the trade do not stop at the criminal actors themselves. According to him, links have been observed between those actors and political appointees, as well as the government in power, in several ways.

Prof Appiagyei-Tua suggested that this alleged involvement of politically influential people has made the fight against galamsey far more complicated. It points, he indicated, to a major weakness in Ghana’s response: attention is concentrated on those working at the sites, while the people who allegedly finance, protect and benefit from the trade receive far less scrutiny.

His comments also raise questions about accountability, particularly where individuals with political influence are alleged to be connected to illegal mining operations.

For the professor, the solution begins with a change in how galamsey is understood. He maintains it should be treated as broad organised criminal activity, rather than as only an environmental offence or a case of people mining without licences.

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