The Chinese government has issued a caution to its citizens in Ghana, urging them to refrain from participating in illegal mining as the country grapples with a worsening galamsey crisis, which has severely damaged water bodies and forest reserves.
In recent weeks, Ghana has faced an escalating water crisis, with the Ghana Water Company attributing it to the pollution of critical water sources.
Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, acknowledged during an interaction with journalists that some Chinese nationals are involved in illegal mining.
However, he stressed that the Chinese government does not support such activities.
“I am aware that some Chinese are engaged in illegal mining, but we actively discourage this,” Ambassador Defa said.
“When I accompanied President Akufo-Addo to Beijing in 2018, our President told him, ‘If any Chinese citizen commits illegal acts in Ghana, they should be held accountable under your laws.’ We do not condone this illegal mining.”
Discussions around galamsey and its severe repercussions intensified after the Ghana Water Company Limited’s Central Region management warned of upcoming water supply challenges in Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding areas.
The company attributed the shortfall in raw water at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant to galamsey activities.
Environmental groups, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens have voiced their frustrations over the limited progress in addressing the galamsey problem.
On Wednesday, Organized Labour issued a strong warning to the government, threatening a nationwide strike by the end of September if concrete actions are not taken to tackle the escalating galamsey crisis.
