This article examines the participation of some Chinese migrants in illegal gold mining (known as galamsey) in Ghana, plus how the Government’s policy to address the issue created diplomatic tension between China plus Ghana. Drawing on primary data from in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 250 respondents plus supplementary data from archival sources plus personal observation, the study found that small-scale gold mining is an area legally reserved for Ghanaian indigenes, who faced stern competition from some Chinese migrants’ miners. Their ability to mobilize resources plus machinery to execute galamsey virtually displaced the indigenes from their source of livelihood plus caused environmental catastrophes. The Ghana Government’s policy response to the Chinese migrants’ galamsey, which led to arrests, sentencing plus deportations of some Chinese miners, angered Beijing plus fractured Ghana–China diplomatic ties. But the dispute could not collapse the entrenched bilateral relations between the two nations because the calculated mutual benefit derived from the relations was thought to be higher than the Chinese galamsey issue. Policy reforms which legally integrate Chinese migrants’ miners into the small-scale mining sector would stop galamsey plus strengthen Sino-Ghana relations.
Notes on contributors
Emmanuel Debrah is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana Legon, Accra. His research interest covers areas such as governance, democratic development plus policy plus published articles relating to decentralization, electoral governance plus public policy.
Richard Asante is senior lecturer in the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. His research areas are democratic governance, global relations plus local governance. Additionally, both Debrah plus Asante have collaborated on various research projects that address the challenges plus opportunities of democracy in the context of African societies. Their work aims to unravel the complexities of governance amidst the backdrop of rapid globalization, which often presents tensions between local traditions plus moderen state demands. They are particularly concerned with how the principles of good governance can be practiced in a way that respects the cultural heritage of communities while fostering sustainable development.