The Rapid Response Team is blocked by odd-looking armed men while miners ravage the Offin Forest Reserve.

There have been reports of heavily armed miners blocking Ghana’s Forestry Commission’s entry to the Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserve as illegal mining operations, also known as Galamsey, have intensified there.

According to Erasmus Asare Donkor, a journalist for JoyNews, these illegal miners have taken over portions of the forest and obstructed the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Unit. The officers were reportedly denied admission to the reserve by the armed persons who barricaded the entrance, raising questions over the region’s environmental protection efforts and the rule of law.

In the jungle, these bandits are engaging in illicit mining. They blocked the forest from being entered by the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Team. According to Erasmus Asare Donkor’s Facebook post, “These armed men blocked the entrance and refused members of the Rapid Response Unit entry into the reserve.”

For several months, illicit miners have threatened the Offin Shelter Belt, a crucial forest reserve created to preserve biodiversity and water supplies. Authorities have often attempted to curb the activity, but it appears that things are becoming worse as miners are now openly confronting law enforcement.

Local environmental activists and community leaders have urged the government and security forces to intervene urgently to address the escalating threats to Ghana’s natural resources. The Forestry Commission has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.

As illegal mining continues to devastate forests and water bodies nationwide, the government faces mounting pressure to enhance enforcement measures and take decisive action against those involved in such destructive activities.

Source: Erasmus Asare Donkor(Joynews)

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