The Deputy Executive Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has warned that the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining initiative could replicate the implementation failures that undermined the previous administration’s Community Mining programme, cautioning that a policy that looks excellent on paper will achieve little without strict adherence to its objectives, legal compliance, and genuine community consent.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr. Bosu said the new initiative—formally known as the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP)—appears promising in design but faces the same fundamental question that has dogged Ghana’s mining reform efforts for years.
“The same way, looking at the strategy on paper when it comes to the responsible cooperative mining, it looks excellent. But the question is, how really are they going to stick to implementing this as it is?” he said .
Community Consent Concerns
Mr. Bosu raised specific concerns about reports that government officials were allegedly pressuring some community committees to accept cooperative mining arrangements despite their objections. He said some communities wanted to mine gold found on their lands but were unhappy with arrangements that would bring in people from other areas to undertake the mining .
The warnings come amid broader concerns about human rights abuses in mining communities. A Rocha Ghana has previously documented cases in Ayensuano District in the Eastern Region, where residents of Kuano, Dome, Abobri, and Akyensa reportedly resisted attempts by mining operators to enter community lands under a so-called “cooperative mining” arrangement allegedly facilitated by the District Chief Executive. Mr. Bosu said the arrangement proceeded without the free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities .
He stressed that engagement with affected communities must be backed by strict enforcement of the law, urging authorities to distinguish between different categories of miners rather than apply a uniform approach to all operators .
Policy Promise vs. Implementation Reality
The rCOMSDEP was launched in October 2026 in the Ahanta West and Mpohor Fiase areas of the Western Region, with the government describing it as a pathway to formalise small-scale mining, protect the environment, and ensure mining communities benefit directly from mineral resources . The programme has since expanded to Nzema East and Ellembelle, with mining cooperatives inaugurated and presented with certificates and permits .
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Yusif Sulemana said at the Ahanta West launch that the initiative was designed to give small-scale miners a legitimate pathway to operate within the law, with registration and certification through the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency .
But Mr. Bosu has previously questioned the funding underpinning the programme. Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View in September 2026, he noted that the concept of cooperative mining was intended to address environmental concerns by organising miners, providing government investment, and establishing central processing facilities to reduce mercury use—but that the funding sources remained unclear.
“That program has already been rolled out. We don’t even know where the funds are coming from to invest,” he said .
Beyond Regulation: Livelihoods and Capture
Mr. Bosu added that tackling illegal mining required more than regulation and enforcement. He called on the government to create alternative livelihood opportunities and ensure support programmes were strategically implemented to prevent their benefits from being captured by a few individuals .
His concerns echo a pattern identified in Ghana’s mining governance: successive initiatives have been launched with ambitious objectives, only to falter on implementation. A national multi-stakeholder dialogue on illegal mining in November 2025 identified weak enforcement, overlapping institutional mandates, logistical constraints, and a perceived lack of political will as persistent contributors to the crisis .
Mr. Bosu has consistently argued that Ghana already possesses the policies and institutions needed to regulate mining—the challenge is ensuring approved practices are followed on the ground.
“The solution is there. We know what the solution is,” he said in September, questioning whether the country has the capacity and commitment to properly implement available solutions .
