GREEN TRACEABILITY MINDS FOUNDATION (GREEN T) ISSUES 21-DAY ULTIMATUM TO GOVERNMENT OVER HARASSMENT OF ARTISANAL AND COOPERATIVE MINERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GREEN TRACEABILITY MINDS FOUNDATION (GREEN T) ISSUES 21-DAY ULTIMATUM TO GOVERNMENT OVER HARASSMENT OF ARTISANAL AND COOPERATIVE MINERS

The Green Traceability Minds Foundation (GREEN T), an NGO committed to promoting responsible and traceable small-scale mining in Ghana, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Government of Ghana to address the escalating harassment, intimidation, and extortion of artisanal and cooperative miners by unauthorized security personnel and self-styled taskforce operatives.

As an organization that has consistently championed the transformative agenda of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), GREEN T finds it deeply disheartening that the very miners who are driving Ghana’s gold sector resurgence are being treated as enemies of the state.

*THE CONTRIBUTION OF SMALL-SCALE MINING TO GHANA’S ECONOMY*

The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is no longer a peripheral player in Ghana’s gold industry. It is the backbone of our economy. Official data confirms that small-scale mining now contributes more than *40% of Ghana’s total gold output*, up from the historical average of around one-third.

In 2025, the ASM sector achieved a historic breakthrough, exporting *103 tonnes of gold valued at approximately US$10.8 billion* – surpassing the large-scale mining sector for the first time in Ghana’s history.

Between January 2025 and May 2026, GoldBod purchased and exported gold worth an astonishing *$16.11 billion*, with artisanal and small-scale mining accounting for all but a fraction of the *135.843 metric tonnes* purchased. In fact, *98 percent* of GoldBod’s gold purchases during this period came from the ASM sector.

The government has generated over *$15 billion* in gold export proceeds through GoldBod, with the overwhelming majority sourced from small-scale and cooperative miners. These forex inflows have contributed significantly to strengthening the Ghana Cedi, building foreign reserves from approximately *$8.98 billion in December 2024 to $13.8 billion* by the end of 2025, and reversing losses from gold smuggling.

*THE PARADOX: WHY HARASS THE SECTOR THAT SUSTAINS THE ECONOMY?*

The question GREEN T is asking, on behalf of every hardworking small-scale and cooperative miner in this country, is simple: Why is the government not protecting the very sector that brings in such gargantuan forex inflows?

While GREEN T congratulates the government on the introduction of the massive rCOMSDEP intervention — a commendable initiative designed to formalize artisanal mining, promote environmental sustainability, and create decent jobs — we are alarmed that security personnel deployed to mining sites completely disregard the hard work and legitimacy of rCOMSDEP-registered cooperatives.

Cooperative miners who have gone through the rigorous registration process, received training, and obtained the necessary licenses under rCOMSDEP are routinely harassed. When they present their rCOMSDEP registration documents to security operatives, they are ignored. Even when they are working responsibly at their sites — far from water bodies, forests, roads, and installations — they are targeted.

Excavator parts are seized arbitrarily, and miners are forced to negotiate cash payments before their equipment is released. This is not law enforcement; this is organized extortion.

*A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM DEMANDING URGENT ACTION*

This is not an isolated incident. The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) has repeatedly raised alarm over the alarming rate of harassment, intimidation, and extortion faced by small-scale miners at the hands of some law enforcement agencies and politically exposed individuals.

Reports indicate that multiple, uncoordinated task forces operate on mining sites, creating chaos and confusion. In some cases, individuals claiming to be security operatives — some with political connections — move between sites seizing equipment and demanding large sums of money.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources acknowledged these concerns and announced plans to introduce an identification system for anti-galamsey operatives. However, to date, no meaningful action has been taken to protect licensed and cooperative miners from this harassment.

*GREEN T’S DEMAND: 21-DAY ULTIMATUM*

GREEN T, speaking as a representative of small-scale miners who understand and appreciate the immense contribution of our sector to national development, hereby gives the Government of Ghana a *21-day ultimatum, effective today, July 23, 2026*, to:

1. Issue an immediate and unequivocal directive to all security agencies and taskforce operatives to cease the harassment, intimidation, and extortion of licensed small-scale and rCOMSDEP-registered cooperative miners;

2. Establish clear protocols for all operations on mining sites, including a mandatory identification system for all legitimate taskforce members;

3. Investigate and prosecute individuals and groups involved in the illegal extortion and harassment of miners, regardless of their political connections;

4. Ensure the immediate release of all excavators, parts and equipment seized from licensed and rCOMSDEP-registered miners without due process;

5. Provide explicit protection for cooperative miners who have registered under rCOMSDEP and are operating in compliance with all legal and environmental requirements.

*MINERS ARE READY TO WORK RESPONSIBLY*

Small-scale and cooperative miners are not enemies of the state. We are Ghanaian patriots who work tirelessly to extract the gold that sustains our nation’s economy. We are ever ready to work responsibly and have committed to desisting from working in water bodies, forests, and areas close to road networks and installations.

All small-scale miners and cooperatives are willing to support the transformative agenda of GoldBod by working hard to produce traceable and responsible gold for GoldBod’s sustainability. We believe in the vision of a formalized, transparent, and environmentally responsible small-scale mining sector.

*BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE TARGETED, HARASSED, AND EXTORTED WHILE WE BUILD THIS NATION.*

If the relevant institutions fail to address these concerns within the 21-day ultimatum period, small-scale miners will have no choice but to lay down their tools — a decision we do not take lightly, but one that has become necessary to protect our dignity, our livelihoods, and the future of our sector.

We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians, civil society organizations, and the media to stand with us in demanding justice for the miners who are the true heroes of Ghana’s gold sector.

*Issued by:*

*GREEN TRACEABILITY MINDS FOUNDATION (GREEN T)*

For media enquiries, please contact:

*(0243521119 / 055170577)*

Green Traceability Minds Foundation (GREEN T) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting responsible, traceable, and sustainable small-scale mining practices in Ghana, in alignment with the transformative agenda of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).