Operation Halt II: Soldiers seize 30 excavators from galamseyers - Lands Minister

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has announced a relaunch of the 'Operation Halt' exercise against the illegal mining (galamsey) menace in the country. He indicated that the Military would take full responsibility for this second phase of 'Operation Halt'. Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh in an interview on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", the Minister noted that Operation Halt II has already commenced with the soldiers seizing some excavators belonging to the galamseyers. "As I speak with you, they have seized almost 30 excavators. It has already begun. It started about two or three days ago and it's going to be sustainable . . . The soldiers are going to go on for as long as it takes. They will decide. They will make those decisions, not me, the Minister . . . they will have command and control responsibility in terms of when to go, how to go, where to go, how to go about their operations; all of it will be in the hands of the Military. We are responsible for policy but they will conduct operational implementation," he said. Listen to the Minister's submissions below: