A Rocha Ghana defends claim that over 50 forest reserves face galamsey

Environmental advocacy organisation A Rocha Ghana has defended its assessment that more than 50 forest reserves in Ghana are being encroached on by illegal miners, insisting that its findings are supported by evidence. The organisation’s response follows recent claims that the figure it reported was inaccurate. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, A Rocha Ghana said its March 28 press release, issued as a member of the Coalition Against Galamsey – Ghana (CAGG), stated that “at least 50 forests” were facing encroachment linked to illegal mining. The clarification follows comments by the government’s spokesperson and Press Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, Julius Kwame Anthony, who said on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, September 8, that 44 forest reserves had been affected. According to A Rocha Ghana, Mr Anthony said the figure was based on verification conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. The organisation also dismissed an alleged message from the spokesperson for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, suggesting that current incursions into forest reserves were minor and manageable. A Rocha Ghana said it respected the mandate of government institutions to monitor and protect Ghana’s forest reserves but maintained that any differences in the figures should be resolved through evidence-based verification rather than accusations. “If the number is 44, 51, or another figure, then let the evidence establish it,” the organisation said. It said it remained committed to transparency and accuracy and welcomed scrutiny of the data and methodology underpinning its assessment. “We therefore welcome scrutiny of our data and methodology and believe that the information behind these figures should be examined openly and objectively,” it said. A Rocha Ghana, however, cautioned against allowing the disagreement over the figures to overshadow what it described as the broader threat posed by illegal mining to Ghana’s forest reserves. “There is also a bigger issue here,” it said. “Whether 44, 51, or any other figure is ultimately established, the reality remains that Ghana’s forest reserves are under serious threat from illegal mining.” The organisation said even where an incursion is described as minor or manageable, it could pose risks to forests, biodiversity, water resources and the environmental integrity of protected areas. “We do not want the national conversation to become a debate over whose figure is accurate while forest destruction continues,” A Rocha Ghana said. The organisation said it was preparing for a press conference at which it would present the evidence supporting its findings, including the data sources and methodology used in its assessment. It called for the competing figures to be openly examined and independently verified. “Our position is straightforward: let the evidence speak, let us establish the facts, and let us act to protect what remains of Ghana’s forests,” A Rocha Ghana said.Source: Grace Rosina Ablewor, Contributor
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