President John Dramani Mahama has announced that soldiers will remain stationed in nine forest reserves cleared of illegal mining to prevent operators from returning to the sites.He said the decision followed previous experiences in which illegal miners returned to the reserves after military personnel deployed to flush them out had withdrawn.President Mahama said all nine forest reserves previously designated as red zones because of extensive destruction and the presence of heavily armed illegal miners had been cleared, with troops deployed to protect the areas.“We have now cleared all nine of those red zones. There are no galamsey operators in those forest reserves, and we have stationed soldiers there to ensure that the illegal miners do not return. The soldiers will remain in those areas,” he said.The President made the remarks during a courtesy call by chiefs from the Western North Region, where he called for stronger collaboration with traditional authorities to sustain the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.He said previous efforts to clear some forest reserves had failed because illegal miners returned shortly after soldiers withdrew, leaving forest guards to resume responsibility for protecting the areas.“Whenever forest guards went there, they were fired upon, and some lost their lives,” he said, highlighting the dangers faced by personnel tasked with protecting the reserves.President Mahama urged chiefs to support the government’s efforts, particularly in communities where young people and some traditional authorities had resisted operations by the National Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Illegal Mining (NAIMOS).He said the cooperation of traditional authorities was crucial because they lived among the people and were better positioned to help address the local factors sustaining illegal mining.Mahama raises concern over deaths during operationsThe President also expressed concern about incidents in which soldiers had discharged firearms during enforcement operations, resulting in deaths.He stressed the need for stronger community engagement and collaboration with traditional leaders to prevent further casualties while protecting forest reserves and water bodies.GoldBod, military to support forest restorationOn efforts to restore degraded lands, President Mahama said GoldBod had begun engaging the military in a programme to reclaim destroyed forest areas and replant them with trees.Under the programme, bulldozers would be used to level degraded land, while the Forestry Commission would work with the military on reclamation and reforestation.The initiative forms part of broader efforts to restore areas damaged by illegal mining and protect the country’s forest resources.GH¢400m allocated for Blue Water GuardsPresident Mahama also announced that the Finance Minister had allocated GH¢400 million in the 2027 Budget to recruit additional Blue Water Guards to patrol water bodies and intensify the fight against illegal mining.He said the guards had been instructed to destroy changfang machines used for illegal mining whenever they encountered them.According to the President, several machines had already been destroyed, helping to clear many major river channels.However, he noted that illegal mining in tributaries continued to contribute mud and silt to the rivers, underscoring the need for sustained enforcement and monitoring.President Mahama said the government’s response must go beyond enforcement to address the economic circumstances pushing young people into illegal mining.He emphasised the importance of combining security operations, environmental restoration and community collaboration to sustain the fight against galamsey.