We are not to blame for galamsey- Chinese Ambassador
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has pushed back against widespread perceptions that Chinese nationals are the primary drivers of illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, June 20, Ambassador Defa argued that the illegal mining crisis did not originate from China, and that many Chinese involved in such activities in Ghana are often migrant workers invited by local actors.
“I do not know the reason why, when people say galamsey, they normally equate that to the Chinese. But actually, it is not Chinese. The issue does not originate from the Chinese. I mean, you can see those mining, the Chinese cannot get the license.”
“It is the Ghanaian people who draw Chinese people over here, and the Chinese who are caught red-handed are just migrant workers who have come here and make a living,” he said.
Ambassador Defa stressed that long-term, coordinated national policy, not reactive enforcement, is essential to addressing the environmental damage and social issues associated with illegal mining.
“All the sectors, all the policies, we should work for a long-term policy on how to solve the problem to eliminate this pollution in waterbodies and in the forests. We should find a way to solve this problem in this country. To my understanding, you can never eliminate those small mines. These small mines have illegal activities involved in them,” he said.
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