In plain sight and with seeming impunity, illegal mining operations continue to ravage the hillsides of Kyebi, a dangerous reality that resulted in a tragic incident on Saturday, March 7, 2026, when a miner lost his life just metres from a local A Rocha Ghana office.
The incident, which occurred behind the landed property of environmental NGO A Rocha Ghana, has done little to disrupt the irresponsible and illegal mining activities dotting the landscape.
According to eyewitness accounts, the illegal miner became trapped in a pit at around 10:00 p.m. during a nighttime operation. His body was later recovered using an excavator, a grim testament to the unregulated and hazardous nature of the work taking place in full view of the community.
For years, the hills surrounding the township have been stripped bare by illegal miners, commonly known as galamsey operators, who operate irresponsibly and with reckless abandon for safety and environmental safeguards, with what residents describe as total disregard for the law.
Despite the visibility of these operations, local police and municipal authorities have repeatedly failed to intervene, raising questions about complicity or a breakdown in enforcement.
A Pattern of Impunity
The latest fatality struck particularly close to home for A Rocha Ghana, whose Kyebi office sits adjacent to the active mining front. The organisation has been a vocal opponent of the degradation, but its efforts have been met with inertia from the very bodies meant to uphold mining and environmental regulations.
As early as 2024, A Rocha reported to the police that illegal miners had encroached on its land, destroying several boundary pillars. While some individuals were initially arrested and taken to court, the legal action proved to be a mere speed bump. Soon after, the excavators returned, digging dangerously close to the office boundaries and leaving behind deep and unstable slopes.
Despite filing multiple complaints and pursuing civil remedies, the organisation says it has watched helplessly as the hills behind its office have been systematically reduced to rubble. Saturday’s death, occurring literally in its backyard, is the tragic outcome it says it had long warned about.
Losing Kyebi’s Forested Hillsides
The environmental scars and risks of mining the hillsides of Kyebi are plain for all to see upon entering the town. The hills and forests surrounding Kyebi form part of an important ecological landscape that supports biodiversity, regulates water systems, and sustains local livelihoods.
Allowing illegal mining to continue unchecked threatens not only the environment but also human safety and the rule of law.
Calls for Accountability Intensify
In the wake of the March 7 incident, A Rocha Ghana has reiterated its demand for immediate and coordinated action by state security agencies and local government authorities, stressing that intelligence-led interventions are critical to averting future calamities.
The organisation is demanding an immediate halt to all illegal mining operations in the Kyebi hills, a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the miner’s death, and strict enforcement of laws against those operating and facilitating illegal mining activities in the town.
Reporting by Charles Agyarkwa from A Rocha Ghana Kyebi Office.
