Latest news with #Accra-based
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Ghana's military helicopter crash kills ministers of defence and environment
A Ghanaian military helicopter en route from Accra to Obuasi crashed, claiming the lives of Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. A Ghanaian military helicopter crashed en route from Accra to Obuasi. Julius Debrah labelled the incident a 'national tragedy,' and Ghana mourns the loss of these senior officials. The helicopter, Z9, took off from Accra before disappearing from radar, with the cause of the crash unconfirmed. A Ghanaian military helicopter en route from Accra to Obuasi has crashed, claiming the lives of Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah described the incident as a 'national tragedy' as the nation mourns the loss of the senior officials. The helicopter, identified as Z9, took off from Accra at 9:12 a.m. before vanishing from radar, according to a statement from the Ghana Armed Forces cited by the Accra-based broadcaster. Crash sparks national grief The cause of the helicopter crash remains unconfirmed. In response to the tragedy, Ghana's Chief of Staff has ordered national flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the victims. Among those confirmed dead are Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana's Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister, and Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). The helicopter crew members were identified as Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala, Flying Officer Manin Twum-Ampadu, and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah. Boamah, who previously served as Communications Minister and Minister of Environment under Mahama, had been leading efforts against growing jihadist threats along Ghana's northern border with Burkina Faso. Alhaji Muniru Mohammed was a key figure in Ghana's fight against illegal gold mining, known locally as Galamsey, a practice that has devastated the environment and polluted water bodies. Protests against Galamsey intensified during Mahama's presidential campaign last year.
Arab Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Ghana's president inaugurates special task force to tackle illegal gold mining
ACCRA, Ghana, July 9, (AP): Ghana's president launched a special task force on Tuesday to combat rampant illegal gold mining and smuggling that has long plagued the West African nation. The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining - known locally as "galamsey' - was a major issue during Ghana's presidential election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government. Ghana's President John Mahama inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task Force, saying its creation "signals our readiness to act decisively.' The task force - comprised of officers from various security agencies and the military - is empowered to arrest and detain suspects. It follows the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board agency in January as the sole legal entity managing all transactions and exports of gold mined in the country by small mining companies. Mahama said that along with the agency, the task force will strive to curb the proliferation of illegal miners and "dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold.' He touted what he described as the rebound of the cedi, Ghana's currency, which has had a poor track record against the dollar, as a result of setting up the Ghana Gold Board. The illegal gold mining industry has resulted in significant economic losses and environmental degradation for Ghana, Africa's largest gold-producing country. It has flourished as a result of a massive slump in Ghana's economic fortunes as millions of young people struggle to find jobs. Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold mining after many rivers were polluted, becoming a political hot-button issue in the election. Mahama, who won the election, promised in his campaign to clamp down on the practice. "Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without fear or favor,' he said Tuesday. Mahama emphasized how the task force members would wear body cameras, which allows for accountability and monitoring of their actions in real time. However, many analysts say past attempts to curb illegal gold mining have not produced tangible results. "The task force can help," Festus Aboagye, an Accra-based security analyst, told The Associated Press. But "the challenge, as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ghana's president inaugurates a special task force to tackle illegal gold mining
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana's president launched a special task force on Tuesday to combat rampant illegal gold mining and smuggling that has long plagued the West African nation. The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as 'galamsey' — was a major issue during Ghana's presidential election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government. Ghana's President John Mahama inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task Force, saying its creation 'signals our readiness to act decisively.' The task force — comprised of officers from various security agencies and the military — is empowered to arrest and detain suspects. It follows the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board agency in January as the sole legal entity managing all transactions and exports of gold mined in the country by small mining companies. Mahama said that along with the agency, the task force will strive to curb the proliferation of illegal miners and 'dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold.' He touted what he described as the rebound of the cedi, Ghana's currency, which has had a poor track record against the dollar, as a result of setting up the Ghana Gold Board. The illegal gold mining industry has resulted in significant economic losses and environmental degradation for Ghana, Africa's largest gold-producing country. It has flourished as a result of a massive slump in Ghana's economic fortunes as millions of young people struggle to find jobs. Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold mining after many rivers were polluted, becoming a political hot-button issue in the election. Mahama, who won the election, promised in his campaign to clamp down on the practice. 'Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without fear or favor,' he said Tuesday. Mahama emphasized how the task force members would wear body cameras, which allows for accountability and monitoring of their actions in real time. However, many analysts say past attempts to curb illegal gold mining have not produced tangible results. 'The task force can help," Festus Aboagye, an Accra-based security analyst, told The Associated Press. But "the challenge, as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.' ___ Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria. Francis Kokutse And Ope Adetayo, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Winnipeg Free Press
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ghana's president inaugurates a special task force to tackle illegal gold mining
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana's president launched a special task force on Tuesday to combat rampant illegal gold mining and smuggling that has long plagued the West African nation. The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as 'galamsey' — was a major issue during Ghana's presidential election campaign last year and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government. Ghana's President John Mahama inaugurated the GOLDBOD Task Force, saying its creation 'signals our readiness to act decisively.' The task force — comprised of officers from various security agencies and the military — is empowered to arrest and detain suspects. It follows the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board agency in January as the sole legal entity managing all transactions and exports of gold mined in the country by small mining companies. Mahama said that along with the agency, the task force will strive to curb the proliferation of illegal miners and 'dismantle the black-market economy surrounding gold.' He touted what he described as the rebound of the cedi, Ghana's currency, which has had a poor track record against the dollar, as a result of setting up the Ghana Gold Board. The illegal gold mining industry has resulted in significant economic losses and environmental degradation for Ghana, Africa's largest gold-producing country. It has flourished as a result of a massive slump in Ghana's economic fortunes as millions of young people struggle to find jobs. Huge protests broke out across the country against illegal gold mining after many rivers were polluted, becoming a political hot-button issue in the election. Mahama, who won the election, promised in his campaign to clamp down on the practice. 'Let this serve as a warning to all those involved in gold smuggling and illegal trade: the law will be enforced without fear or favor,' he said Tuesday. Mahama emphasized how the task force members would wear body cameras, which allows for accountability and monitoring of their actions in real time. However, many analysts say past attempts to curb illegal gold mining have not produced tangible results. 'The task force can help,' Festus Aboagye, an Accra-based security analyst, told The Associated Press. But 'the challenge, as usual, is not regulation but enforcement.' ___ Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.
Eyewitness News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
At 50, West African bloc teeters amid shifting alliances, security woes
LAGOS - Leaders of ECOWAS are gathering on Wednesday to celebrate 50 years since its formation and are expected to address regional security challenges as the continent also seeks answers in the face of US trade tariffs and aid cuts. The anniversary could not have come at the worst of moments for the Economic Community of West African States - once internationally respected as a force for stability. ECOWAS is now fractured following the departure of junta-led countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger earlier this year. It is also grappling with its security challenges with jihadists exploiting strained relationships between members and gaining ground in the Sahel and Lake Chad region. Benin and Nigeria have experienced a wave of attacks in recent months. And the Sahel region was in 2024 ranked the epicentre of global "terrorism" for the second straight year, accounting for more than half of deaths put down to terror attacks worldwide, according to the Global Terrorism Index published in March. Coups and attempted putsches - driven by widespread public discontent and distrust in political elites - have rocked nearly half of original ECOWAS countries in the last decade, putting democracy on the ropes and straining relations among neighbours. The departure of the three countries from ECOWAS dealt a blow to the bloc's credibility and regional influence, experts say. The exit "is a major dent on this organisation's capacity to harness the optimism and hopes of its birth", said Kwesi Aning, an expert in international cooperation at the Accra-based Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. "It reflects a disastrous level of leadership amongst ECOWAS leaders," he added. TURMOIL AND TRADE Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the current head of the rotating ECOWAS presidency, and the 89-year-old ECOWAS co-founder and former Nigerian military leader, General Yakubu Gowon, are due to address the gathering at a hotel in Lagos. As the region's largest economy and most populous nation, Nigeria was expected to be ECOWAS's "stabilising force", but it is "faltering", said SBM Intelligence in a report released Wednesday. "Its internal crises — including economic mismanagement, political instability, the Boko Haram insurgency, and governance failures — have significantly diminished its ability to lead", said the report. Overall, ECOWAS "finds itself at a critical juncture between its foundational aspirations of economic integration and peace and the stark realities of regional insecurity, democratic backsliding, and internal fragmentation," said SBM Intelligence. The impact of the turmoil on trade among countries is stark. Before relations between neighbours Nigeria and Niger soured following a coup in Niamey in July 2023, Nigerian traders shipped out several truckloads of edible grains from the bustling Dawanau market in the northwestern state of Kano daily. While the volume of grains supplied from the Kano market into Niger has not changed much, it is the cost of doing so that is now biting. Multiple traders and truckers told AFP in Kano that taxes paid on Nigerian goods imported into Niger have increased fivefold, fuelling a spike in smuggling activities across porous borders. "We were paying an equivalent of 100,000 naira (about $64) as import duty on each truck before they left ECOWAS, but we now pay around 500,000 naira," said 40-year-old trucker Aliyu Abubakar. "Smuggling is thriving," said Mustapha Buhari, 47, a resident of Nigeria's Mai-Adua, a border town.
