Death on the Hillside: How Kyebi’s Silence on Illegal Mining turned fatal

In plain sight and with seeming impunity, illegal mining operations continue to ravage the hillsides of Kyebi, a dangerous reality that resulted in an tragic incident on Saturday, 7th March 2026, when a miner lost his life just meters from a local A Rocha Ghana office.

The incident, which occurred behind the landed property of environmental NGO A Rocha Ghana, has done little to disrupt the irresponsible and illegal mining activities dotting the landscape. According to eyewitness accounts, the illegal miner became trapped in a pit at around 10 PM during a nighttime operation. His body was later recovered using an excavator, a grim testament to the unregulated and hazardous nature of the work taking place in full view of the community.

For years, the hills surrounding this township have been stripped bare by illegal miners, commonly known as galamsey, who operate irresponsibly and with reckless abandoned for safety and safeguards with what residents describe as total disregard for the law. Despite the visibility of these operations, local police and municipal authorities have repeatedly failed to intervene, raising questions about complicity or a complete breakdown of enforcement.

A Pattern of Impunity

The latest fatality struck particularly close to home for A Rocha Ghana, whose Kyebi office sits adjacent to the active mining front. The organization has been a vocal opponent of the degradation, but their efforts have been met with inertia from the very bodies meant to uphold mining and environmental regulations.

As early as 2024, A Rocha reported to the police that illegal miners had encroached on their land, destroying several boundary pillars. While some individuals were initially arrested and taken to court, the legal action proved to be a mere speed bump. Soon after, the excavators returned, digging dangerously close to the office boundaries, leaving behind deep, and unstable slopes.

Despite filing multiple complaints and pursuing civil remedies, the organization has watched helplessly as the hills behind their office have been systematically reduced to rubble. Saturday’s death, occurring literally in their backyard, is the tragic outcome they had long warned about.

Losing Kyebi’s forested Hillsides

The environmental scars and risks of mining the hillsides of Kyebi are plain for all to see upon entering the town. The hills and forests surrounding Kyebi form part of an important ecological landscape that supports biodiversity, regulates water systems, and sustains local livelihoods. Allowing illegal mining to continue unchecked threatens not only the environment but also human safety and the rule of law.

Calls for Accountability Intensify

A Rocha Ghana has, in the wake of the 7th March incident, reiterated its demand for immediate and coordinated action by state security and local government, stressing that intelligence-led interventions are critical to averting future calamities. The organization is demanding an immediate halt to all illegal mining operations in the Kyebi hills, a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the death, and the enforcement of laws against those and operating and facilitating illegal mining operations in the town.

By Charles Agyarkwa. A Rocha Ghana. Kyebi Office.

 

For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z

The post Death on the Hillside: How Kyebi’s Silence on Illegal Mining turned fatal appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

Read Full Story