Ghanaian President John Mahama has launched a new national task force to combat the country’s long-standing crisis of illegal gold mining and smuggling, signaling what he called a decisive new chapter in the country’s battle against “galamsey” the local term for unregulated mining.
At a ceremony in Accra on Tuesday, President Mahama formally inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task Force, which will work in tandem with the Ghana Gold Board (established in January) to enforce mining regulations and crack down on illicit gold trading networks that have cost the nation billions in revenue and caused widespread environmental damage.
“This move signals our readiness to act decisively,” Mahama said. “Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without fear or favour.”
Military-Backed, Bodycam-Equipped Force
The newly formed task force is composed of personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces, police, and other national security agencies. Members will be outfitted with real-time body cameras to ensure transparency and accountability in their operations.
The team will be empowered to arrest and detain suspects, with priority placed on disrupting illegal mining operations, seizing unlawfully mined gold, and dismantling black-market export routes.
A Political Promise Becomes Policy
Illegal gold mining became one of the most contentious issues during last year’s election cycle, sparking nationwide protests after rivers and farmlands were contaminated by toxic mining practices. Voters in rural and mining regions accused the previous administration of failing to act.
Mahama, then the opposition candidate, pledged to clamp down on galamsey and restore order to Ghana’s mineral economy a promise many saw as instrumental in his election victory.
“The task force and the Gold Board will dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold,” Mahama affirmed on Tuesday.
He also cited early signs of economic recovery, crediting the establishment of the Gold Board with helping to stabilize the cedi, Ghana’s currency, which has struggled in recent years against the U.S. dollar.
Enforcement, Not Just Regulation
Despite the bold new measures, experts remain cautious.
“The task force can help,” said Festus Aboagye, a security analyst based in Accra. “But the challenge, as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.”
Ghana is Africa’s top gold producer, yet it continues to lose vast sums of money to illegal mining and gold smuggling much of it driven by economic hardship and youth unemployment. Experts say the practice has created a shadow economy, empowering powerful networks of illegal traders and complicit middlemen.
A Test for Mahama’s Leadership
The creation of the GOLDBOD Task Force is widely viewed as a critical early test for Mahama’s new government. While previous administrations have launched similar operations, few have delivered long-term results.
Whether this effort leads to tangible reforms remains to be seen, but public expectations are high.
As Ghana faces the dual challenges of economic recovery and environmental protection, Mahama’s administration is betting that this task force backed by law, military force, and digital transparency can deliver where others have failed.
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