Who protects our forest protectors?

While many are asleep, Ghana’s forest guards keep watch over a disappearing natural heritage at great personal risk.

Indeed, these guards stand on a lonely frontline.

Every day, they walk into dense reserves not knowing whether they will return home to their families.

Their duty is simple, to state, but dangerous to perform.

They protect the nation’s forests from illegal miners and loggers, who see the land only for its immediate spoils.

The stories are chilling.

The guards are ambushed, slashed with machetes, shot at, or hunted down in the very communities where they live (See page 13).

The victims are men and women who wear no heavy armour, carry limited protection, and yet face armed gangs emboldened by profit and, too often, impunity.

The killing of Stephen Kumi in the Neung Forest Reserve, the machete attacks in Atewa, and repeated assaults in the Western Region are signs of a deepening crisis.

Imagine the psychological burden of a forest guard who must enforce the law by day and return at night to the same community where those he confronted may live.

He knows their faces; they know his. He is tasked to protect a national asset, yet he often does so without insurance, without arms or modern equipment, and sometimes, without visible state backing.

The Daily Graphic sees this as dangerous and unsustainable.

We are convinced the country is serious about fighting galamsey, therefore, we urge that the protection of forest guards must be treated as a national security priority, because if we are unable to protect those who protect the country’s natural heritage, we risk losing both our environment and moral authority.

Consequently, we must resource our forest guards with modern protective gear, reliable communication systems, drones for surveillance, body cameras for evidence gathering, and give them rapid-response backup.

These must not be compromised, because illegal miners of today are well organised, financed and sometimes armed.

Sending guards to confront such networks without adequate tools is setting them up for harm.

We also believe that insurance and welfare packages must be non-negotiable. It is unacceptable that officers risking their lives have no guaranteed safety net for their families.

The government must, as a matter of urgency, implement a comprehensive insurance scheme, risk allowances and psychological support services for these young ones who have offered to serve in such dangerous terrain.

The Daily Graphic and, we believe, every well-meaning citizen, expect that when the state asks citizens to face danger on its behalf, it must stand firmly behind them.

Thus, we reason that enforcement must be sharper and more visible.

Arrested perpetrators should face swift prosecution and meaningful penalties.

Too often, offenders return to the forests within days, sending a message that crime pays.

In this vein, we laud the Chief Justice for establishing the Specialised High Court Division to fast-track prosecution of environmental crimes to change this narrative.

It is trite knowledge that deterrence works when punishment is certain.

Many attacks stem from local resentment or economic dependence on illegal mining.

For that reason, community engagement is crucial.

Sustained education, alternative livelihood programmes and community watchdog partnerships can reduce hostility.

When communities see forests as long-term wealth in terms of water security, climate stability, tourism and agriculture, they become allies rather than adversaries.

We also expect a strong political will that rises above partisanship.

Galamsey is not a political party issue.

The destruction of forests poisons rivers, ruins farmlands, and mortgages the future of Ghanaian children.

Leadership must send a clear signal that the era of tolerance is over.

The forests are not lawless zones, and those who attack officers of the state attack the nation itself.

The law must pursue such criminals relentlessly.

Violence against forest guards should carry consequences as serious as attacks on any security officer.

The forests are invaluable to our sustenance as a people, they give water, rainfall, climate balance and life itself.

The guards who protect them are equally vital.

If they fall, the forests fall and if the forests fall, we all fall.

Let’s protect the forest guards.

That move is not only to save their profession, but also safeguard the country’s future.