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Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Bots pushed anti-China narrative ahead of Ghana mining ban
The West African nation has long been home to an informal artisanal mining sector. (EPA Images pic) ABUJA : Before Ghana banned foreigners from its gold trade earlier this year, an online bot campaign pushed anti-Chinese sentiment, blaming Chinese nationals for exploiting the country and stealing its resources. The West African nation has long been home to an informal artisanal mining sector. However, recent years have seen foreign investors – including many Chinese nationals – bring in industrial equipment and operate without permits or regard for the environment, leading to accusations of land grabbing and the serious degradation of waterways. In April, the government took steps to rein in the 'galamsey' – as illegal mining is known – by banning foreigners from trading in Ghana's local gold markets and granting exclusive authority to do so to a new state body, the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod). The move was seen as sending a major signal to foreign mining operators – especially Chinese ones. However, ahead of the ban, fake accounts impersonating real Ghanaians on X had been pushing a coordinated effort to link China to galamsey explicitly for at least nine months, accounts seen by AFP and reviewed by disinformation experts show. Such campaigns have become common around the world to try to influence real-life politics. Who was behind the push remains unclear. While Chinese nationals have been blamed for the mining crisis, the role of Ghanaians went mostly unacknowledged in the posts, even though many of the country's political elite have been accused of direct involvement or complicity. 'Corruption be big wahala (problem) for here – look at galamsey, when Chinese come inside, everything change sharp,' said one typical post in Ghanaian Pidgin English, which researchers contacted by AFP identified as written by a bot. 'We for keep eye on them, no let them steal we gold like they done in other countries,' they said. Another accused Chinese companies of wanting to 'exploit we (our) resources and leave we (our) people with nothing'. Disinformation experts contacted by AFP identified 38 accounts involved in the push – 'though there are likely far more', said Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson University. Competing interests Almost all of the bots flagged by Linvill and his colleague Patrick Warren appeared to have stopped posting about galamsey by March, just ahead of the April ban. Many have since been deleted. One typical phrasing had been repeated by various bots since July 2024, a search on X showed – but stopped being used completely just hours after the rule was passed. 'China's role is significant, but it would be misleading to scapegoat foreigners alone,' said Senyo Hosi, an anti-galamsey campaigner. Grace Ansah-Akrofi, a police spokeswoman, said that officers have been 'vigilant and proactive in detecting and dismantling digital networks engaged in disinformation', but did not provide details on the bot campaign specifically. The Ghanaian government and the Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment. If the campaign was affiliated with the government, it would have had to span rival administrations: John Mahama was elected president in December after running for the opposition against incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo. Rabiu Alhassan, director of FactSpace West Africa, an Accra-based fact-checking and disinformation research group, cautioned that many international and domestic players have mining interests in Ghana. He also pointed out that Ghana lies just south of the volatile Sahel region, where Russia, the West and other foreign powers have jockeyed for influence. Hot sauce and football The accounts also posted about hot sauce, a British football team and Russia's role in the conflict in Mali. Given the diverse targets, they are likely bots for hire, Linvill said – alhough attacking both Russia and China is 'unique'. Linvill also said that the campaign shed light on a 'blind spot' when it comes to disinformation and influence campaigns, where researchers often focus on Chinese, Russian and Iranian campaigns against Westerners. 'However, Westerners are not targeted nearly as much as non-Westerners,' he said. The most common culprits behind influence campaigns, he added, are governments trying to sway their own people. In May, the GoldBod announced its first arrests of foreign nationals since the ban. All the men in the group were from India.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Bots pushed anti-China narrative ahead of Ghana mining ban
ABUJA: Before Ghana banned foreigners from its gold trade earlier this year, an online bot campaign pushed anti-Chinese sentiment, blaming Chinese nationals for exploiting the country and stealing its resources. The west African nation has long been home to an informal artisanal mining sector. But recent years have seen foreign investors -- including many Chinese nationals -- bring in industrial equipment and operate without permits or regard for the environment, leading to accusations of land grabbing and the serious degradation of waterways. In April, the government took steps to rein in the 'galamsey' -- as illegal mining is known -- by banning foreigners from trading in Ghana's local gold markets and granting exclusive authority to do so to a new state body, the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod). The move was seen as sending a major signal to foreign mining operators -- especially Chinese ones. But ahead of the ban, fake accounts impersonating real Ghanaians on X had been pushing a coordinated effort to link China to galamsey explicitly for at least nine months, accounts seen by AFP and reviewed by disinformation experts show. Such campaigns have become common around the world to try to influence real-life politics. Who was behind the push remains unclear. While Chinese nationals have been blamed for the mining crisis, the role of Ghanaians went mostly unacknowledged in the posts, even though many of the country's political elite have been accused of direct involvement or complicity. 'Corruption be big wahala (problem) for here -- look at galamsey, when Chinese come inside, everything change sharp,' said one typical post in Ghanaian Pidgin English, which researchers contacted by AFP identified as written by a bot. 'We for keep eye on them, no let them steal we gold like they done in other countries.' Another accused Chinese companies of wanting to 'exploit we (our) resources and leave we (our) people with nothing.' Disinformation experts contacted by AFP identified 38 accounts involved in the push -- 'though there are likely far more', said Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson University. Competing interests Almost all of the bots flagged by Linvill and his colleague Patrick Warren appeared to have stopped posting about galamsey by March, just ahead of the April ban. Many have since been deleted. One typical phrasing had been repeated by various bots since July 2024, a search on X showed -- but stopped being used completely just hours after the rule was passed. 'China's role is significant, but it would be misleading to scapegoat foreigners alone,' said Senyo Hosi, an anti-galamsey campaigner. Grace Ansah-Akrofi, a police spokeswoman, said that officers have been 'vigilant and proactive in detecting and dismantling digital networks engaged in disinformation', but did not provide details on the bot campaign specifically. The Ghanaian government and the Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment. If the campaign was affiliated with the government, it would have had to span rival administrations: John Mahama was elected president in December after running for the opposition against incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo. Rabiu Alhassan, director of FactSpace West Africa, an Accra-based fact-checking and disinformation research group, cautioned that many international and domestic players have mining interests in Ghana. He also pointed out that Ghana lies just south of the volatile Sahel region, where Russia, the West and other foreign powers have jockeyed for influence. Hot sauce and football The accounts also posted about hot sauce, a British football team and Russia's role in the conflict in Mali. Given the diverse targets, they are likely bots for hire, Linvill said -- though attacking both Russia and China is 'unique'. Linvill also said that the campaign shed light on a 'blind spot' when it comes to disinformation and influence campaigns, where researchers often focus on Chinese, Russian and Iranian campaigns against Westerners. 'But Westerners are not targeted nearly as much as non-Westerners,' he said. The most common culprits behind influence campaigns, he added, are governments trying to sway their own people. In May, the GoldBod announced its first arrests of foreign nationals since the ban. All the men in the group were from India.
Trade Arabia
07-06-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Ghana exports $4bn gold from ASM sector in four months
The West African nation of Ghana purchased and exported $4 billion worth of gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector between February and May, according to Sammy Gyamfi, Managing Director, Ghana Gold Board. Speaking at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit held in capital Accra, Gyamfi said gold purchasing and exportation was made through the newly established Ghana Gold Board, aimed at curbing illicit gold trading in Ghana. "Gold exports from ASM players have exceeded exports from the large-scale sector for the first time. Total gold exported from the ASM sector between February and May reached a new record of 41 tons," he stated. According to Gyamfi, the milestone has increased foreign currency contributed by the ASM sector for the government with in May 2025 alone the sector producing and exporting 11 tons of gold worth up to $1,172 billion in export revenue. "The data shows the potential of the ASM if properly annexed," he added. He also announced various upcoming initiatives aimed at empowering the ASM sector and its contribution gold sector expansion while addressing illicit mining. These include launching an ASM skills training program in September 2025 and investments in the Community Mining Scheme operated by the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources. According to Gyamfi, the Ghana Gold Board will also be launching an Anti-Smuggling Taskforce to address illicit export of gold and a gold tokenisation facility to maximize traceability of Ghanaian resources.
Zawya
06-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Ghana Gold Board Reports $4 Billion in Revenue from Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) Sector in Four-Month Period
Ghana purchased and exported $4 billion worth of gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector between February and May 2025, according to Sammy Gyamfi, Managing Director, Ghana Gold Board. Speaking at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit on Tuesday, Gyamfi said gold purchasing and exportation was made through the newly established Ghana Gold Board, aimed at curbing illicit gold trading in Ghana. 'Gold exports from ASM players have exceeded exports from the large-scale sector for the first time. Total gold exported from the ASM sector between February and May reached a new record of 41 tons,' he stated. According to Gyamfi, the milestone has increased foreign currency contributed by the ASM sector for the government with in May 2025 alone the sector producing and exporting 11 tons of gold worth up to $1,172 billion in export revenue. 'The data shows the potential of the ASM if properly annexed,' he added. He also announced various upcoming initiatives aimed at empowering the ASM sector and its contribution gold sector expansion while addressing illicit mining. These include launching an ASM skills training program in September 2025 and investments in the Community Mining Scheme operated by the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources. The Ghana Gold Board will also launch an Anti-Smuggling Taskforce to address illicit export of gold and a gold tokenization facility to maximize traceability of Ghanaian resources. The board also plans to establish an international standardization facility in the country by 2026 to ensure responsible sourcing and sustainability across the entire gold value chain. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
Zawya
04-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Mining in Motion: Ghana Targets Global Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Integration
Ghana is formalizing its artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector to align with global standards, promote sustainability and boost economic integration. Despite ASGM contributing over 35% to the country's total gold output, much of the country's artisanal mining activity remains informal. Speakers during a Mining in Motion 2025 panel outlined steps to address this challenge and accelerate the global integration of Ghana's ASGM sector The session – titled Integrating ASGM into Global Supply Chains, sponsored by Emirates Gold- examined policy gaps, market barriers and innovative solutions to enhance the credibility and competitiveness of ASGM gold on the international stage. In recent months, Ghana has been making strides to foster a conducive environment for ASGM producers. According to Neil Harby, Chief Technical Officer, London Bullion Market Association, 'Recently introduced guidelines have improved Ghana's capacity to produce small-scale gold, but the risk-reward ratio still lacks.' As such, the Ghana Gold Board, established this year, has been created to oversee, regulate and manage all gold and precious mineral-related activities in Ghana. The Board aims to enhance regulation, maximize foreign exchange earnings, build gold reserves and promote value addition for national economic transformation. 'If you look at Ghana's reserves, they've been very static. So, we've sat down and looked at how we can leverage gold resources in the country. If we can convert a domestic asset but go through the processes to convert it to a foreign asset, then we can begin to build upon our gold reserves,' stated Dr. Steve Opata, Head of Risk, Foreign Reserves Management at the Bank of Ghana. Meanwhile, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has supported Ghana's efforts to formalize its artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector by addressing illicit financial flows and promoting responsible sourcing through tools like the Due Diligence Guidance and ASM Hub. Collaborating with the Ghanian government, the OECD helps develop policies to regulate ASM, which plays a vital economic role but faces challenges including environmental harm and links to illicit activity. 'You have to be sure that you have some understanding of the mapping of the supply chain. You need the management systems to help you understand the circumstances of production around those mine sites. We want to allow commercial relationships between small-scale and artisanal miners and international producers,' stated Louis Maréchal, Sector Lead: Minerals and Extractives, OECD. As a key player in the global precious minerals industry, Emirates Bullion Market offers significant expertise in gold refining and infrastructure development. In recent years, the UAE has become increasingly instrumental in Ghana's gold sector. In 2024, the country emerged as one of the top export destinations for Ghana's gold, accounting – alongside Switzerland – for 36.5% of total exports. 'Sustainability is conducive to operating with local miners. We want to know how their operations support the communities they come from. We only promote sustainable mining while safeguarding investor interest,' stated Sudheesh Nambiath, Manager, Dubai Multi Commodities Center, Emirates Bullion Market. Meanwhile, Rand Refinery supports Ghana's gold upstream sector by offering smelting, refining and metal recovery services. The company holds exclusive rights to refine Goldplat's Ghana output, with a mutual agreement on processing by-products. 'Working as a team with in-country producers, ASM producers and large-scale miners, the intention is to unlock productivity at a commercial scale,' stated Jason McPherson, Head of Sourcing and Business Development, Rand Refinery. With the launch of the Ghana Gold Board and strategic upgrades to its mining code, Ghana is aligning its ASGM sector with global standards. The country is positioning itself as a leading destination for sustainable gold sourcing, investment and innovation – proving that responsible mining can drive both local empowerment and global integration. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital&Power.
