A Carnivorous Earth: The Recurring Tragedy of Ghana's Illegal Mining Graves

The earth, which should be a source of life and sustenance, has become a carnivorous beast in the heart of Ghana's gold belt, particularly within the small-scale mining sector. It opens its mouth in the dead of night, in the silence of abandoned shafts, and swallows men whole. The recent news from Bogoso (which occurred on November 18, 2025), where about six illegal miners were trapped and met a gruesome end, is not just a headline; it is a chilling echo. It is the sound of a nation failing to learn, a cycle of poverty, risk, and death that plays out with a sickening regularity.

Each of these men was someone's son, perhaps a father, a husband, a brother, a breadwinner. They descended into the belly of the earth not for adventure, but for survival, driven by the desperate alchemy of turning immense risk into a few grams of gold. Their deaths are a profound human tragedy, but they are also a searing indictment of a systemic failure that we, as a nation, have refused to adequately address.

A Chronology of Sorrow: The Earth's Repeated Groan

The Bogoso incident is a scar on a body already covered in them. Ghana's history of illegal mining disasters is a long and painful one.

1. 2010 (Dompoase): In a single, horrific incident, over 100 illegal miners were buried alive when a pit collapsed. The nation was shocked, but the memory faded. 
2. 2016 (Prestea): At least 17 illegal miners drowned when they breached the walls of an abandoned mine shaft, flooding their tunnel.
3. 2017 (Wassa Nsuta): Another pit collapse claimed the lives of at least 22 miners.
4. 2019 (Kyekyewere): At least 19 miners were trapped and killed in a collapse.
5. 2021 & 2022: Multiple, smaller-scale incidents in Talensi, Obuasi, and other mining towns continued to claim lives, often unreported in national media but devastating to local communities.

My journal article titled “Analysis of artisanal and small-scale gold mining accidents and fatalities in Ghana” published in the Resource Policy journal in 2021, provides further details on the repeated nature of small-scale mining-related accidents in Ghana, and how we are failing to learn from past events as a country.

The Bogoso tragedy is not an anomaly; it is the latest chapter in a well-documented, bloody history. The names of the towns change, but the story remains the same. This repeat events is a typical example of what Albert Einstein considers as the meaning of insanity - “doing the small thing over and over and expecting different results” – a form of irrationality or lack of progress.

The Anatomy of a Disaster: Why This Keeps Happening

To dismiss these miners as merely "illegal" or "reckless" is to ignore the complex web of causes that pushes them into the jaws of the earth:

1. The Lure of "Ghetto Gold": Chronic unemployment, poverty, and the lack of viable economic alternatives in these mineral-rich communities make illegal mining, or "galamsey," one of the few available livelihoods. When the choice is between certain poverty and a chance - however dangerous - to feed your family, the calculus changes.
2. The Deathtrap Infrastructure: These are not regulated mines. They are rudimentary, unstable pits and tunnels shored up with wooden pillars that rot. There is no ventilation, no safety protocol, no escape routes, and no structural engineering. A slight tremor, a heavy rainfall, or simple structural fatigue can turn them into tombs in seconds.
3. The Abandoned Lure: Illegal miners often re-enter officially abandoned mine shafts owned by large companies. These sites, while no longer economically viable for corporations, still hold traces of gold. They are often poorly secured and become irresistible death traps.
4. The Complicit Chain: The problem is sustained by a powerful network. From the financiers who provide tools and funds, to the corrupt officials who turn a blind eye for a cut, to the buyers who seamlessly integrate this "blood gold" into the legal supply chain. This ecosystem makes the trade profitable enough to outweigh the perceived risks.

Breaking the Cycle: A Multi-Pronged Path to Solutions

We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. A more nuanced, compassionate, and forceful approach is required.

1.        From Criminalisation to Formalisation:

The state must create clear, accessible pathways for small-scale mining to become legal, safe, and regulated. This involves demarcating specific, safe zones for community mining, providing training on sustainable and safe mining practices, and offering support for cooperatives to obtain licenses. We must turn "galamsey" operators into small-scale business owners.

2.       The "Mine Guard" Doctrine:

Large mining companies must be held to a higher standard of responsibility for their decommissioned sites. This means mandatory, robust, and perpetual securing of abandoned shafts and pits, going beyond simple fencing to include monitoring and rapid response to breaches. The cost of cleanup and security should be factored into their initial operational budgets.

3.       Economic Diversification as a Vaccine:

Investing in alternative livelihoods in mining communities is non-negotiable. Programmes for sustainable agriculture, vocational training in other trades, and supporting local entrepreneurship can provide the youth with options beyond the mine shaft. A man with a choice is less likely to gamble with his life.

4.      Intelligence-Led Law Enforcement:

While the root causes are economic, the enforcement must be smarter. Instead of chasing poor miners underground, security operations should target the kingpins and the corruption network that enables the trade. Disrupting the financial backbone of illegal mining will be more effective than confiscating a thousand pickaxes.

5.       A National Reckoning and Community Dialogue:

We need a sustained, national conversation that moves beyond blame. This involves traditional leaders, religious bodies, and civil society working with communities to redefine manhood and success away from this deadly enterprise. We must humanise the victims to mobilise the will for change.

The six souls lost in Bogoso are not just statistics. They are a stark message from the deep. They are a plea for us to learn finally. The earth in Ghana’s gold belt will continue to be carnivorous only for as long as we allow the conditions that feed it to persist. It is time to stop mourning the symptoms and start curing the disease. The next chapter in this chronology does not have to be written in blood.