Chinese Envoy Rejects Galamsey Blame, Says Ghanaians Hire Illegal Miners
Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Tong Defa, has ignited public backlash after boldly claiming that Ghana can never eliminate illegal mining—commonly known as galamsey—and must instead focus on managing its environmental effects.
Speaking at a media engagement at his private residence in Accra on Thursday, June 19, Ambassador Defa shifted the blame for Ghana’s deepening galamsey crisis onto locals, not Chinese nationals. According to him, the core enablers of the illegal activity are Ghanaians themselves.
“To my understanding, in this country, you can never eliminate those small mines... we need to find ways to solve this problem,” he said. “The government needs to work on a policy to eliminate the pollution of waters and forests.”
His comments come at a time of growing national concern over the irreversible environmental degradation caused by illegal mining. Civil society organisations, including the Ghana Coalition Against Illegal Mining, have been calling for tougher enforcement actions and prosecution of the powerful individuals allegedly backing the trade.
Ambassador Defa dismissed the widespread belief that Chinese nationals are the main perpetrators of illegal mining in Ghana.
“Actually, it is not Chinese. It didn’t originate from China... It is the Ghanaian people who throw the Chinese people over here,” he said.
He further explained that many of the arrested individuals are low-level migrant workers who were brought into the country by Ghanaian sponsors eager to exploit the lucrative mining sector.
“Some of those who were caught red-handed are just migrant workers... When I post on X, people tag me with galamsey as if galamsey is caused by China. It is unfair to me and to the majority of Chinese,” he lamented.
The Ambassador also used the platform to underscore the contributions of Chinese companies to Ghana’s infrastructure development.
“A lot of your projects are built by Chinese companies—your roads, your ports. Do any normal Ghanaian people know about this?” he asked.
His remarks are expected to intensify the already heated debate on foreign involvement in illegal mining and raise fresh questions about the government’s commitment to fighting the galamsey menace at its roots.
