The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Hugh Brown, has called for the establishment of a special military unit within the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to safeguard the country’s forest reserves from illegal miners.
According to Dr. Brown, illegal mining activities, often carried out by heavily armed groups, have reached a critical level, threatening Ghana’s globally significant biodiversity areas (GSBAs). He stressed that the current approach—deploying the military on a temporary basis—is no longer effective, as illegal miners have become more sophisticated in their operations.
“We are now dealing with organized crime, where armed thugs—some from neighboring countries—block access to forest reserves and attack Forestry Commission officials,” Dr. Brown stated in an interview.
He emphasized that the permanent deployment of the military to targeted hotspots for illegal mining and logging is necessary to address this growing national security threat.
A Growing Crisis
Ghana has 288 forest reserves, and despite efforts by the Forestry Commission to protect them, over 5,200 hectares across 44 reserves have already been destroyed by illegal mining.
A former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, recently backed the call for a dedicated military unit during a conference on responsible small-scale mining. He argued that illegal miners have increasingly become weaponized, posing a serious threat to the Forestry Commission’s rapid response teams.
Diverging Views on the Proposal
While Dr. Brown believes a military intervention is the most effective solution, some stakeholders suggest that strengthening the Forestry Commission’s resources could be a more sustainable approach.
Daryl Bosu, Deputy National Director of A-Rocha Ghana, proposed that the government should equip the Forestry Commission with vehicles, body cameras, protective gear, and other essential tools to enhance their enforcement capacity.
“If the Forestry Commission is well-resourced, they can respond swiftly before situations escalate to the point where military intervention is necessary,” he stated.
Despite the differing opinions, there is consensus on the need for urgent action to protect Ghana’s forests from illegal mining and deforestation.
By: J.W Quarm
