The Coordinator for environmental group Eco-Conscious, Awula Serwaa, has firmly rejected proposals for a “shoot-to-kill” policy against illegal miners, describing it as extreme and unacceptable.
Speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Serwaa acknowledged the destructive impact of illegal mining, calling perpetrators “environmental terrorists,” but stressed that Ghana must uphold the rule of law.
“With the greatest respect, we are not in a jungle,” she stated. “Even when someone is accused of murder, they are entitled to a judicial process. There are rules of engagement even in times of war; you cannot shoot someone in the back.”
She clarified that the only circumstance where lethal force would be justifiable is if illegal miners actively open fire on security personnel. Instead, she argued, the most appropriate and lawful approach is to arrest and prosecute suspects.
“The primary purpose is to remove them, arrest them, and have them prosecuted,” she emphasized.
Serwaa proposed that government could declare a state of emergency, giving individuals 24 hours to vacate forest reserves and water bodies.
Anyone found in those areas afterward, she explained, would have willfully disobeyed the directive and any resulting fatalities would stem from their own actions rather than state intent.
Reiterating her position, she said illegal miners deserve the label of “environmental terrorists” because their actions threaten the very foundation of the nation’s survival.
She also urged Ghanaians to support the #FixTheCountry protest, which is calling on the government to take decisive action against illegal mining, including the declaration of a state of emergency in affected communities.
Concluding, Serwaa announced that Eco-Conscious will soon begin to “name and shame” politicians and financiers from both major political parties who are backing illegal mining.
She said this move is aimed at exposing those “greedy and evil individuals” responsible for destroying Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves.
