All eight people on board a Ghana Armed Forces Z-9 aircraft perished in a collision in the Ashanti Region’s Adansi Akrofuom District on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. To attend the opening of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (COMSDEP), the group was making the journey from Accra to Obuasi, a well-known hub for illicit mining activities (sometimes referred to as “galamsey”).
In order to address illegal mining and its effects on the environment, this program sought to expand on earlier efforts such as the Community Mining Scheme and the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah called the disaster a “national catastrophe,” and President John Dramani Mahama announced a three-day national mourning period beginning on August 7, 2025.
On August 8, 2025, Dr. Ken Ashigbey, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, responded to this by calling on Ghanaians to see the tragedy as a turning point in the struggle against illicit mining in an interview with Accra’s Citi FM. He said that those involved in Galamsey who were politically exposed were morally accountable for the killings.
“The blood of these eight is on your hands, everyone connected in Galamsey who is politically exposed.” You might best change your mind, confess your sins, and leave it. Enough is enough”.
Ashigbey criticized the practice of simply deporting foreign offenders and demanded more action against illegal miners. He promoted complete fines and penalties as required by law to make it clear that Ghana is shutting down the “criminal business” of galamsey. He emphasized that the nation’s grief should be channeled into decisive action to honor the victims’ sacrifice, particularly noting the ministers’ commitment to environmental justice and anti-galamsey efforts.
In agreement with Ashigbey, the Central Regional Peace Council described the collapse as a “stark reminder of the existential threat” that galamsey posed to Ghana’s social stability, economic underpinnings, and environmental health. They emphasized the harm that illicit mining causes to communities’ health, rivers, and forests.
In order to demonstrate a national commitment to putting an end to illegal mining, a number of other individuals, including Kwame Jantuah, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, and Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, have strongly urged President Mahama to take a firm stance against galamsey and propose memorials for the victims. They have cautioned that Ghana’s future may be in danger if nothing is done. They predict that if environmental degradation persists, Ghana will not be a country in ten years.
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The Ceremonial Gardens of the Presidency hosted a wreath-laying ceremony on August 7, 2025, and more commemoration activities, such as a vigil on August 9, 2025, are planned. The catastrophe, which is the deadliest air disaster to strike Ghana since a cargo jet crash in Accra in 2012, has heightened political and public debate about the need to address the environmental and socioeconomic costs of Galamsey.
Illegal mining has long been a significant issue in Ghana, causing widespread environmental damage, including the pollution of rivers vital for agriculture and drinking, deforestation, and health problems in local communities.
It is also linked to other criminal activities like child prostitution, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. The crash has amplified calls for accountability, with figures like Ashigbey and Jantuah emphasizing the need to target politically connected individuals and enforce existing laws rigorously.
