River Guards are not soldiers , they are first responders from galamsey-hit communities – Lands Minister

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has explained that the newly introduced River Guard initiative is not a military operation, but a locally-driven strategy to protect Ghana’s rivers from illegal mining.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, March 22 2025, Mr Buah said the guards, though trained by the Ghana Navy, are not armed personnel. Rather, they are young people from riverine communities who have been trained to detect and report galamsey activities.

“They don’t have that power in their training. We told them they are not soldiers,” Mr Buah said. “They are more like security officers, they are first responders. They come from the community. Every morning, they are dealing with young people who are engaging in the wrong thing.”

The minister said the initiative is designed to support the Navy and other enforcement bodies by using local intelligence and presence. The guards are expected to serve as early responders and information gatherers, not law enforcers.

So far, over 400 recruits are undergoing training, with funding secured for 1,000 in total. The government plans to scale up the number to 2,000, with deployments prioritised in areas heavily impacted by galamsey including parts of the Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Northern regions.

Mr Buah said the guards are being trained at specialised riverine bases being established by the Navy across the country.

The Navy is expected to operate from 12 locations to improve monitoring and support rapid intervention.

He said the River Guard programme also aims to involve the youth more meaningfully in environmental protection.

“This psychological idea that our friends are protecting the river bodies, and they have the capacity to make sure the Navy is here in two minutes when things happen, is critical,” he stated.

Mr Buah also linked the initiative to other national efforts such as the Green Ghana project, saying it was part of a broader drive to rebuild environmental consciousness among young people.

“We are launching this in the spirit of the young pioneers,” he said. “The training involves conscientisation. Our young people must see this as an opportunity of a lifetime to lead an effort that is more than yourself.”

The River Guard initiative forms part of the government’s latest approach to tackling the ongoing destruction of forests and water bodies caused by illegal mining.

It is also expected to complement the work of the military and the Forestry Commission in safeguarding environmentally sensitive areas.

Mr Buah stressed that while security operations remain important, lasting change will only come if the people themselves are involved and take responsibility for protecting natural resources.