A diplomatic clash is intensifying between Ghana and China as both countries point fingers over the surge in illegal gold mining, known locally as galamsey.
The dispute comes amid soaring global gold prices and growing environmental destruction, with Ghana’s forests and rivers increasingly under threat.
According to Business Insider, Ghana, the top gold producer in Africa, has become a major hub for illicit mining, and many of these activities allegedly involve Chinese nationals.
While some Ghanaians accuse Chinese actors of driving the illegal mining crisis, China’s ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, has rejected the idea that Chinese nationals are solely to blame.
“The issue did not originate from the Chinese,” Ambassador Tong said during an interview with local media.
“Some of those who are even caught red-handed are simply migrant workers trying to make a living.”
He explained that Chinese citizens cannot legally obtain mining licences in Ghana and are often brought in by Ghanaians who run the illegal operations.
“The perception is unfair to me, personally, and to the majority of Chinese nationals here,” Tong added.
“When I post on social media, comments often suggest that galamsey is entirely caused by China, which is a significant injustice.”
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His remarks follow multiple government crackdowns in which Chinese nationals were among those arrested.
Illegal mining has left parts of Ghana’s Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions devastated.
Toxic chemicals have polluted major rivers, and large-scale deforestation and soil erosion have stripped the land of its fertility.
One high-profile case is that of Aisha Huang, known as the “Galamsey Queen,” who was sentenced in 2023 to 4½ years in prison and fined US$4,000 after returning to Ghana despite being previously deported.
Ambassador Tong defended China’s overall role in Ghana, pointing to the country’s infrastructure investments.
“Chinese companies have built numerous buildings, roads and ports,” he said.
“Yet, do ordinary Ghanaians truly recognise these efforts, or do they consistently associate us solely with galamsey?” In response, Ghanaian officials are promising tougher action.
Hanna Louisa Bissiw, Administrator of Ghana’s Minerals Development Fund, said the country will not back down.
“Let me be unequivocally clear: there will be no compromise on what we have to do. It’s an absolute ‘never’,” Bissiw stated.
She added that during a recent visit to China, officials there expressed support for Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
Former UN senior governance adviser Baffour Agyeman-Duah pointed to deeper issues, suggesting complicity at the borders.
“Most of the Chinese involved appear to be rural and not highly educated,” he said.
“This implies a deliberate system is in place to recruit and move them through Ghana’s borders into mining areas.”
University of Ghana professor Gladys Nyarko Ansah also criticised the ambassador’s comments.
“Is the ambassador saying that because some Ghanaians engage in stealing, Chinese migrants in Ghana should also engage in stealing?” she asked.
Security analyst Ndubuisi Christian Ani from the Institute for Security Studies said Ghana must ensure accountability, regardless of its ties with China.
“Ghana tends to be lenient on arrested Chinese persons involved in illegal mining, partly because of its high regard for China,” Ani said. “But criminal activities must be treated as such to avoid impunity.”
As both nations trade blame, the galamsey crisis continues to raise tough questions about enforcement, complicity, and international cooperation.
What remains to be seen is whether Ghana and China will work together to end illegal mining, or whether the finger-pointing will continue as the country’s natural resources suffer.
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Image Credit: Business Insider Africa
