Minority reports 17 deaths from illegal mining in Ghana between January and July 2025

By Emmanuella Sarfo-Ntow November 6, 2025

The Minority in Parliament has disclosed that at least 17 people have died between January and July 2025 due to illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.

The caucus attributed the fatalities to weak law enforcement and what it described as a lack of political will by the government to tackle the ongoing menace, which continues to claim lives and degrade the environment.

Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, November 5, Akwasi Konadu, Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, called for urgent and decisive action to curb the growing threat of illegal mining and its associated human and environmental toll.

“From January to July 2025, Ghana recorded at least 17 deaths linked directly to galamsey activities. These are not mere statistics; these are Ghanaian lives — breadwinners, mothers, sons, and daughters lost to the reckless pursuit of unregulated mineral wealth,” Mr. Konadu said.

He expressed frustration that despite repeated warnings, the government had failed to implement effective measures to prevent such tragedies.

“Mr. Speaker, how many lives must be lost before an urgent, decisive action is taken? The prevalence of death and environmental collapse is a direct consequence of ineffective law enforcement, the lack of political will, and, in some instances, the complicity of some state actors and traditional authorities,” he added.

The Minority urged the government to intensify enforcement efforts, prosecute offenders, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to ending the destructive practice that continues to threaten communities, water bodies, and livelihoods across the country.