The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in a recent statement has condemned the destructive impact of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, describing it as a “calamity that imperils both the integrity of God’s creation and the dignity of His people”.
The statement dated, September 15, 2025 and signed by the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, emphasised the need for a decisive action from the government and all citizens.
The statement read, “It ravages our rivers and forests, poisons our soil, endangers public health, corrupts governance, erodes our moral fibre, and extinguishes livelihoods. This is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures; it is a national emergency requiring decisive, extraordinary response.”
Citing Genesis 2:15, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi explained that the stewardship role of humanity does not permit “reckless exploitation but a sacred trust for the common good.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference also highlighted the grave effect illegal mining has had on water bodies in the country.
“The Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin, Ayensu, and other once-pristine rivers are now laced with mercury and toxic effluents. Some have ceased to flow downstream, while others, like the Ayensu, show turbidity levels so extreme, 32,000 NTU compared to the Ghana Water Company’s maximum treatment threshold of 2,500 NTU, that they defy purification.”
The Bishops’ Conference also noted the increase in pollution in forest reserves due to harmful chemicals used in mining in forest reserves noting that, “Farmers can no longer trust the land to sustain their families, and our capacity to feed the nation diminishes.”
Additionally, they expressed their concern for young children who have been “seduced by the mirage of quick riches” and leave school to engage in illegal mining, stating the situation as “both tragic and preventable.”
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, the Bishops’ Conference are calling on the government and all stakeholders involved to take action and end illegal mining in the country.
“Pope Francis, in Laudato Si’, admonishes us with prophetic clarity: “The earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor. She groans in travail” (LS 2). But the rot is not only ecological.”
By: Veronica Amenya
