The Communications Director for Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, Abdul Razak Alhassan says the military should have found better ways of dispersing the crowd instead of shooting and killing about nine at the AngloGold Ashanti Mines.
He also condemned the invasion of the mining concession by the youth, saying they had no right to go there to cause mayhem.
There was a clash between a youth group of illegal miners and military personnel at the AngloGold Ashanti mining site in Obuasi on Saturday, 18 January 2025, resulting in the deaths of about nine individuals.
According to the Ghana Armed forces, the group stormed the site with weapons and started firing at them when they were prevented from entering the mines.
Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ama Gyenfa Ofosu-Darkwa, Abdul Razak Alhassan said,”We agree to whatever the Ghana Armed Forces reported because we were not there but as professionals, I am sure they have knowledge about crowd dispersing and so with such deaths, they should have exercised restraint. It would have been better to disperse the crowd than these deaths. When you look at these young men who have died and left their family, it is worrying.”
Moving forward, he said the military should consider the human-face and ensure that such deaths do not occur again.
To address this long lasting challenge, he said the Government should consider sitting down with the Movement Committee to discuss the way forward with AngloGold Ashanti and all stakeholders.
Again, he urged Ghanaians not to politicize the issue by blaming the government for what has transpired.
Read Also: AngloGold Ashanti deaths: Stay off mining issues- Small Scale Miners warn politicians
Background
Giving a vivid background into the matter, Abdul Razak Alhassan recalled that around 2014, the youth attacked AngloGold Ashanti Mines, demanding jobs.
“This informed the then NDC-Government to bring all stakeholders together to look at better ways to address the matter”.
To address the matter, he said the Movement Committee, comprising Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, Minerals Commission, Water Resources, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), AngloGold Ashanti, the security and leadership of the youth group was formed.
Following a peaceful consultation, Abdul Razak Alhassan said AngloGold Ashnati agreed to shed about 60 percent of its land to the small-scale mining sector.
He said to pass through due process, the miners were kept in groups and under cooperatives so that they could all work, adding that the Minerals Commission started the process and got to an advanced stage.
Sooner than later, there was a change in government.
Abdul Razak Alhassan said when the NPP-Government took over, the whole process was abolished and the 60 percent of the lands meant to be shared amongst the small-scale miners were also shared amongst the politicians.
Following a series of events, he said the youth in the area occasionally rise and attack the mines while the leadership of the country tried to massage the whole issue while it continued to drag till date.
He said the Politicians did not also return the 60 percent to AngloGold Ashanti, encouraging the public to visit the Minerals Commission to verify the companies or owners possessing those concessions.
“We appeal to the politicians to take their hands off these mining issues, so that the stakeholders in the industry who understand and know the dynamics can solve the issues once and for all. When you look at the deaths, nine people died, why should we sit down for our own people to be killed this way?” he stated.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com | Porcia Oforiwaa
