Plans are far advanced to serve the Ghanaian government with a law suit over illegal mining activities in the nation’s forest reserves.
The coalition suing the Ghanaian government is led by A Rocha Ghana, and include; Kasa Ghana, Eco-Conscious Citizens, Tropenbos, Nature and Development Foundation, Civic Response, and Media Coalition Against Galamsey.
The groups are highly concerned about the effects of illegal mining in these forest reserves and other bodies, and seek answers to why government passed the LI 2462 in 2022, permitting mining in Ghana’s forest reserves.
The coalition seeks to secure an injunction to stop mining in forest reserves, and protect forest reserves, ultimately safeguarding the environment.
In an emergency press briefing at the A Rocha head office in Accra, Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu said, “The Minerals Commission is still accepting applications to mine in forest reserves as recently as August 2024. Our case challenges the legality of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, that LI 2462 which we believe was laid in Parliament without the mandatory physical impact analysis in violation of the Public Financial Management Act
This failure to follow due process renders the regulation null and void.”
Mining activities in Ghana have caused untold destruction to the country’s water resources and degraded its land. In recent times, the advocacy for a ban on mining in Ghana is on the rise and various bodies argue government makes this more to safeguard the nation’s future.
