The Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mrs. Mercy Larbi, has revealed that the impact of illegal mining has extended beyond environmental degradation to serious human rights concerns, including threats to life, dignity and community security.

While addressing the gathering at the “Ma Yen Nkasa” series organized by the Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office, on the theme: “Illegal Mining, Human Rights, and Community Protection in Ghana,” she noted that some security responses had resulted in excessive force and loss of life, raising concerns about the protection of fundamental rights.

“Illegal mining has evolved from economic activities by individuals seeking livelihood into a complex national challenge with far reaching consequences. Whiles the economic pressures that drive people into illegal mining are real, we must also confront the undeniable truth that galamsey has become a driver of human rights violations.

Foremost among these, is the right to life and health, contaminated water bodies, degraded farmlands and others.

These are not merely environmental concerns. They are violations of rights tied to dignity, heritage and belonging,” she said.

Mr. Derrick Schandorf Ayirebi-Acquah, Director of Communications at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, urged stakeholders to depoliticise the fight against illegal mining, describing it as a national crisis.

“We have a very serious issue at hand… we should not politicise it. If we can all come around the table and discuss it dispassionately, we will make a lot of progress,” he said.

Ms. Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, Country Representative of KAS Ghana, noted that recent studies showed citizens ranked galamsey among the most urgent national issues, reflecting concerns about accountability and state capacity.

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“At the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, we have been working closely with partners such as GIMPA to better understand how citizens perceive governance challenges in Ghana. In our most recent nationwide study on democratic governance, galamsey emerged very clearly as one of the issues that citizens consider to be of the highest urgency.

When citizens see rivers polluted, farmlands destroyed, and communities affected—often without visible consequences—it raises fundamental questions”, she stated.