Former UK Deputy Prime Minister and World Gold Council Special Envoy Dominic Raab has warned that Ghana sits squarely on the frontline of a growing illegal mining jihadist threat, with extremist groups from the Sahel eyeing the country's coastal gold supply chains.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Summit 2026, Raab said Ghana's geography between the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea puts it in a uniquely exposed position.
"Ghana is a fascinating country in many ways because you're on the front line.
"You've got the galamsey problem; the President spoke about it. You also have JNIM and the jihadists looking from the Sahel down to the coast." - Dominic Raab
Caught Between Galamsey and Extremism
Raab pointed to Ghana and Togo specifically as the gateway extremist networks want to exploit.
"Ghana and Togo in the middle, you're the access to the coastal supply chain they want, so there is a real risk, and it's why we must win this struggle here," he said.
He argued that illegal gold mining has consequences well beyond the environmental damage usually associated with galamsey, tying illicit gold flows directly to the financing of criminal and extremist organisations.
He drew comparisons to Latin American drug cartels, Islamic State, al-Qaeda-linked groups operating in the Sahel, and various mercenary outfits, all of which he said have turned to illicit gold as a revenue stream.
Rising Prices, Rising Risk
According to Raab, climbing gold prices have made the sector more attractive to criminal groups looking to diversify their operations, while enforcement efforts have struggled to keep pace with the scale of the problem.
He called for tougher law enforcement, stronger measures to disrupt illicit financial flows, and formal supply chains that give responsible small-scale miners a legal route to sell their gold.
He pointed to Ghana's local processing initiatives and central bank purchasing arrangements as useful steps that could reduce miners' reliance on criminal middlemen.
Raab stressed that building a safe, commercially viable market for responsibly mined gold would pull small-scale miners into the formal economy while cutting off opportunities for criminal networks to exploit them, calling for greater urgency from the international community before the security risks deepen further.
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