By Imagine you’re out in a forest, camera in hand, trying to capture a story that could change lives. You’re documenting a crisis—rivers turning muddy, forests disappearing, communities suffering. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by angry men wielding machetes, ready to do whatever it takes to stop you. This isn’t a scene from a movie.
This is the reality three journalists faced in Ghana’s Western Region on February 21, 2025, while reporting on illegal mining. Their story isn’t just about the attack—it’s a wake-up call about the risks journalists face and the urgent need to protect them while they fight to expose the truth about galamsey.
If you’re not familiar with the term, galamsey refers to illegal small-scale mining in Ghana. It’s a word that’s become synonymous with environmental destruction, health crises, and social unrest. I first heard about galamsey a few years ago when a friend showed me pictures of a river in Ghana that looked more like chocolate syrup than water.
That was the Pra River, one of many that have been devastated by galamsey. Since then, I’ve followed the issue closely, but what happened to those journalists last February hit me hard. It made me realize that the people trying to tell these stories are often putting their lives on the line.
The incident took place in the Breman-Adomanya forest, a lush area in Ghana’s Western Region that’s been scarred by illegal mining. The journalists were there to document the environmental damage—think polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands, and vanishing forests. But before they could finish their work, they were brutally attacked by galamsey operators.
These illegal miners didn’t just lash out verbally. They inflicted serious physical harm and smashed the journalists’ equipment, leaving them shaken and injured. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), called the attack “barbaric” and demanded swift justice for the victims. I can’t help but agree—how is it okay for people trying to do their job, a job that benefits society, to be treated like this?
Galamsey isn’t a new problem in Ghana. It’s been around for decades, but its impact has gotten worse over time. A 2021 study published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment found that 60% of Ghana’s water bodies are now polluted because of illegal mining. Major rivers like the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim have turbidity levels—basically a measure of how murky the water is—reaching as high as 14,000 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units).
For context, water treatment plants can only handle levels up to 2,000 NTU. The Ghana Water Company Limited recently warned that if this continues, the country might have to start importing water by 2030. Importing water! In a country that used to pride itself on its natural resources, that’s a terrifying thought.
