Accra Braces for Another Anti-Galamsey Protest this September

Preparations are underway in Accra, Ghana for an anti-galamsey march organized by the citizen group FixTheCountry. The protest is scheduled for Monday, September 22nd, 2025, which is a national holiday commemorating the birth of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. 

Ahead of the march will be a vigil which will be held on Sunday, September 21st, 2025 at the Revolutionary Square in Accra to build momentum ahead of the protest. The protest seeks to express citizens’ frustration with how the new government has handled the fight against galamsey, which are illegal mining activities that have long plagued Ghana.

The demonstration was announced by the Convener of the FixTheCountry group, Oliver Barker-Vomawor on X (formally known as Twitter) on Monday, 15 September, 2025. He emphasized the urgent need for collective action stating, “The responsibility to protect and preserve the environment is by divine assignment, ours as a people.”

The responsibility to protect and preserve the Environment is by divine assignment, ours as a people.

Our responsibility to end Galamsey, does not end at elections. Nor does it begin after our party loses one.

This is bigger than petty politics.

On Sunday 21st September, we…

— Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor (@barkervogues) September 15, 2025

Galamsey has polluted major water bodies, destroyed farmlands, and introduced toxic chemicals into communities through water, causing serious health problems, including cases of pregnant women giving birth to deformed babies. 

Principal Research Scientist of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Water Institute Organization (WIO), Anthony Yaw Karikari revealed that Ghana could face water shortages by 2030, potentially requiring the country to import water for survival. 

Poster created for the upcoming protest

Under the previous administration, a number of protests were organized to pressure then President, Nana Akuffo-Addo to act. The most notable, “Re-Occupy Julorbi” held nearly a year ago, ended in the arrest of 54 protestors, who were detained without access to food, water, bail, or legal counsel. Their detention sparked the #FreeThe Citizens campaign online, and they were eventually released weeks later. 

With the election of John Mahama, many Ghanaians hoped for a decisive crackdown on galamsey. However, critics say the government has been slow to take action. Citizens are calling for the immediate closure of illegal mining operations and thorough investigations to hold powerful individuals involved in the menace accountable. 

Tensions have been further heightened following the recent Ghanaian Airforce Harbin Z-9 helicopter crash where 8 Ghanaians lost their lives while travelling to attend an event regarding the fight against illegal mining. This tragedy, along with the continued environmental destruction, has fueled some citizens to take to the streets to protest again. 

The list of individuals involved in the crash/ image by Metro TV

From the official X page of FixTheCountry, it was shared that the Ghana Police Service has been notified of the upcoming demonstration. 

Copy of the notice served to Ghana Police Service this morning:

21st September 2pm: picket, vigil & other activities @ Revolutionary Square.

22nd September: march and picket! Starting point: Spanner Junction to Revolutionary Square.

Interested in speaking, performing, or… pic.twitter.com/JBbnCjjSOl

— #Fixthecountry (@Ghfixthecountry) September 15, 2025

Barker-Vormawor called on Ghanaians from all walks of life to join the protest and demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding the nation’s natural resources.  

Oliver Barker-Vormawor

What is Galamsey? 

Ghana has been fighting illegal gold mining, known as galamsey, for a long time. ‘Galamsey’ is a Ghanaian word that refers to illegal gold mining done by large and small scale miners. 

Galamseyers, as they are called, mainly operate in Ghana’s middle belt, rich in gold deposits. They dig pits on lands and near water bodies, polluting them and harming nearby residents. Both locals and foreigners including the Chinese, Burkinabes and Ivorians, often lead these operations. 

Unemployment among youth is a key reason people engage in galamsey. Locals and foreigners with both equipment and money often hire young men and women in the rural areas to work for them. Some older people sell their lands to illegal mining companies because they lack other income sources, even though their payment is usually low.

Corruption also fuels galamsey. Some political and traditional rulers own illegal mining companies. Foreign nationals often bribe government officials to allow their illegal mining activities, causing leaders to act slowly against galamsey. 

How Have Past Governments Fought Against Galamsey? 

Since 1989, the government of Ghana has worked to fight galamsey. 

The Small-scale Gold Mining Act was created to legalize artisanal mining and curb illegal activities. In 2006, the Minerals and Mining Act reserved small scale mining for Ghanaians and introduced alternate livelihood programmes for those reliant on galamsey. The lack of income was identified as one of the main reasons people engaged in galamsey. 

In 2013, a joint task force composed of the military and other security personnel was formed, resulting in the deportation of 4,500 Chinese miners.

When Nana Akufo-Addo became president in 2017, he pledged to risk his presidency to fight galamsey. He established an inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining that year. The ministry was later dissolved and cited by many as a failure. Since then, the government has launched costly interventions like deploying soldiers to arrest illegal miners, including Operation Halt, Operation Vanguard, Operation Flush Out, and Galamstop. 

Unfortunately, these government efforts have proven unsuccessful in stopping the effects of galamsey in the country.