President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, to participate in a two-day Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women.
The event is co-hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Women, and the gathering is set for October 13–14, aimed at renewing global commitment to the Beijing Declaration and accelerating its implementation.
But one thing that cannot be glossed over was the rousing welcome President John Mahama received in China amid pomp and pageantry, courtesies extended by the Chinese government.
Beyond the diplomacy and celebration of gender equality, which are the main objects, is the elephant in the room, the galamsey menace.
Many Ghanaians do not shy away from the role some Chinese nationals are playing in Ghana’s small-scale mining crisis. This, for many, is no secret. Over the years, many Chinese nationals have been implicated in illegal mining operations that have destroyed farmlands, polluted rivers, and displaced communities.
As President Mahama receives a warm and rousing welcome in Beijing, one critical question lingers back home: Will this moment of goodwill be used to demand greater cooperation from China in curbing the involvement of its citizens in galamsey?
Luckily, the visit will offer President Mahama an opportunity for direct dialogue between his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as well as China’s Premier, Li Qiang. Could these engagements open a new chapter of bilateral accountability? One where China takes stronger steps to restrain its nationals from engaging in illegal mining on Ghanaian soil?
Or will the pomp and cordiality of state diplomacy overshadow the urgency of environmental justice?
Many who have taken a critical and hard stance against what the environmentalists describe as “environmental ecoside” argue that Ghana needs more than polite assurances. It needs hard-hitting measures such as a declaration of statement of emergency, enforcement partnerships, extradition cooperation, and shared intelligence to tackle the powerful networks behind galamsey.
On the flipside is the fear of some that the political courtesies and economic ties between Accra and Beijing might soften the President’s tone on this sensitive issue.
The president is in the land of one of the countries whose nationals have done a lot of damage to Ghana’s environment. Many Ghanaians are waiting to see whether this trip will mark the beginning of a renewed Ghana-China collaboration against illegal mining, or another missed opportunity to defend Ghana’s environment and sovereignty?
