A Mining and Security Risk Consultant, Liam Morrisey, has said that Ghana risks infiltration by terrorists linked to illegal mining, if government does not treat the menace as an emergency.
Speaking in an interview with 3news on October 15, he argued that the increasing incidences of instability in the Sahel and Ghana’s porous borders put the country at risk.
According to the Bank of Ghana’s Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Risk Assessment for Environmental and Natural Resources Crime Report in 2024, there is a link between illegal mining and instability, as the proceeds from illegal mining have been linked to the financing of terrorist organizations for some time.
As violent extremist groups lose ground in the Sahel, they are turning south, looking for new sources of funding.
“The threat that Galamsey poses is despicable and Ghana needs to treat it as an emergency, before these terrorists find their way here. Looking at the porous borders and the Burkina Faso instability issues, Ghana can be a target easily. I know the authorities are aware of this and will be prudent to stop it before it comes here,” he said.
Ghana has stepped up border surveillance and launched new operations against illegal mining.
But experts say the fight must go beyond the excavators — to follow the money and track where the gold ends up.
“We need to go beyond just tracking, we must tighten border control. The military and civilian police must also work together and then government must intensify community engagement. Civil society groups must report anything suspicious and there must be a show of political will to stop any overflows,” he noted.
