By The Chinese government has warned its nationals in Ghana against participating in illegal mining, amid the country’s worsening galamsey crisis, which has severely impacted water bodies and forest reserves.
Recent weeks have seen a growing water crisis, with the Ghana Water Company attributing the pollution of key water sources to illegal mining activities.
In response to the situation, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, acknowledged that some Chinese individuals are involved in the illicit practice.
He emphasized, however, that the Chinese government strongly discourages such activities.
“I know there are some Chinese involved in this illegal mining but we discourage them.
“I accompanied President Akufo-Addo to Beijing when he met our President in 2018, our President told him that ‘if any Chinese committed any illegal sins here in Ghana, you should hold them accountable to your laws’. So we discourage Chinese people from doing this illegal mining,” he said.
Discussions on galamsey and its severe impact were sparked after the management of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region announced potential water supply challenges in Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding communities.
The company reported that the recent gap between water demand and supply is due to insufficient raw water at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant, a situation exacerbated by galamsey activities.
Environmental groups, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens have expressed frustration over the lack of significant progress in combating galamsey.
On Wednesday, Organized Labour issued a stern warning to the government, threatening a nationwide strike by the end of September if decisive action is not taken to address the escalating galamsey crisis.
Other groups, including religious leaders, have echoed these concerns.
