1 Comment 
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently destroyed 199 dredges in a major crackdown on illegal mining activities across Sierra Leone, signaling a tough stance against environmental violations.
This raids were conducted across several districts, including Tonkolili, Bombali, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono, and Bo.
This large-scale operation, documented in a newly released video, underscores the severe threats facing Sierra Leone’s rivers and ecosystems. EPA officials emphasize that the destruction of these dredges is part of a broader government initiative to combat pollution, protect local communities, and ensure the country’s environmental future.
According to EPA Executive Chairman Dr. Abu-Bakar S. Massaquoi highlighted three urgent concerns arising from the crackdown. He noted that local complicity in illegal mining operations is more widespread than previously thought, with some community members aware of and supporting these activities. Investigations have linked these illicit operations to organized cross-border networks, indicating that many involved are non-nationals, including individuals from China, India, Liberia, and Ghana.
Massaquoi urged that enforcement actions be coupled with sustainable livelihood alternatives to address the root causes of illegal mining. He called for increased awareness of the environmental and economic damage these activities inflict on communities and emphasized the need for improved communication strategies to engage affected populations effectively.
As a non-subvented agency, the EPA’s ability to sustain these costly operations is contingent on resource availability, whistle-blower incentives, the effectiveness of Community Environmental Enforcement Committees (CEECOMs), and the commitment of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs to hold local leaders accountable.
The agency encourages citizens to report illegal activities via its Orange toll-free line, 1999, reaffirming that safeguarding the nation’s rivers is a shared responsibility.
Some of these operational areas are hidden, which is why members of those communities should be encouraged to report any such activities with some handsome ransom attached for any informant.