Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has issued a strong warning to illegal miners, affirming that the Ghana Armed Forces is fully empowered and ready to take decisive action in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Dr. Boamah in a statement on Facebook, emphasised that the military’s role in the anti-galamsey operations would be guided not by rhetoric but by results.

“The military will talk less and let action and outcomes guide its operations,” he stated.

“We have the needed political will, and the Ghana Armed Forces has been empowered to act.”

Reiterating a passionate appeal, the Minister called on all illegal miners operating in forest reserves and along Ghana’s water bodies to voluntarily withdraw from these ecologically sensitive areas.

“Once again, in the name of God and Ghana, I urge illegal miners: leave the forest reserves and water bodies. Save your lives.

Save the environment,” he appealed.

Dr. Boamah’s remarks come at a time when the government is intensifying efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which continues to pose a serious threat to the country’s rivers, forests, and biodiversity.

The Defence Minister’s firm stance signals a new phase in the enforcement of environmental protection laws, with the military expected to play a more visible and results-driven role in restoring Ghana’s degraded natural resources.