WACCE urges gov’t to declare state of emergency in galamsey-prone areas

The Executive Director of the West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism, Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, has urged the government to declare a state of emergency in regions plagued by illegal mining, also known as galamsey. During a September 11 meeting at the WACCE office in Accra, Mr Muqthar argued that illegal mining is creating conditions of social insecurity that could be exploited by extremist groups.

He emphasized that the country's existing security challenges necessitate an emergency approach to tackling illegal mining and other vulnerabilities. Mr Muqthar stated, "If you look at the challenge of galamsey and ethnic conflict, these are vulnerabilities that can be exploited by extremist groups." He further stated that extremist groups target ungoverned areas with weak governance enforcement, thereby exploiting these vulnerabilities.

Adib Saani, Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, also addressed the security dialogue. Mr Saani called for increased involvement of civil society organizations in national security decisions. He pointed out that CSOs are often more attuned to community-level security concerns due to their regular interactions with residents.

"We face numerous security challenges in Ghana, many of which are internal, even though we're also concerned about external threats," Mr Saani commented. He urged the National Security Secretariat to work more closely with civil society organizations in designing and implementing security programs. Mr Saani highlighted the importance of local knowledge and trust when implementing security measures, stating, "If you decide to implement such a programme without us, you are bound to fail."