Responsibility to Protect Ghana’s Absolute Territorial Sovereignty in the Light of “Galamsey”

Why the Military Matters

Abstract

Historically, “galamsey” has been part of Ghana’s pre-and post-colonial era but has assumed large-scale level notably since the 2000s for many reasons including rising gold prices. The persistence of “galamsey” activities constitutes a major driver of ecological degradation in Ghana. To combat the crisis, Governments over the decades have initiated several interventions which have been unsuccessful. This paper contributes to extant literature on how to deal effectively with “galamsey.” It makes copious references to incidences of “galamsey”, in media discussions. It engages discourse analysis as methodology, and employs interdisciplinary perspectives involving human security and state sovereignty among other relevant areas of interest. It argues that (i) a state’s natural mineral deposits, and other natural resources constitute strategic parts of its territorial integrity; (ii) their illegal extraction compromises human security, and threatens state sovereignty, raising concerns over the involvement of foreigners in this state-wrecking crime. The paper contends that since the places where “galamsey” happens are part of Ghana’s territorial integrity, the military, as part of its duty to protect the state’s absolute territorial sovereignty, has significant role to play in combating “galamsey” more effectively. It concludes that although military intervention may not offer a complete solution to the menace, the military wields substantial capacity to suppress the practice more effectively. The paper calls for a state of emergency in illegal mining sites as an urgent ‘first aid’ while the state explores durable multi-actor solutions. It also provides recommendations on how the military could be engaged strategically for enhanced results oriented interventions.