Renewed tension is brewing at Manso Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of Ashanti Region between the residents and mining firm, Asanko Gold Mines over alleged plans to deplore soldiers to the area to guard a mining concession under dispute.
The relatively peaceful mining community over the weekend on Saturday, July 26, erupted in anger following information from the Amansie South District Assembly that the company had secured the services of the state security (military) to be deployed to the concession to flush the local miners, after a similar move sometime last year resulted in the death of three individuals.
But at a highly charged press conference addressed by the traditional leaders, the community warned that any attempt to use the state security to forcibly take away their source of livelihood would be fiercely resisted this time.
Nana Kwaku Gyamfi II, the Asantehene Nkonwa Soafoamanhene, flanked by Abusuapanin of Manso Tontonkrom, Opanin Kofi Manu and surrounded by irate youth clad in red told journalists, the people of Tontokrom are peace-loving, but are getting fed up with constant harassments and brutalities on their own land from the mining firm.
He wondered if the people of Manso Tontokrom are not Ghanaians who deserve to work on their own land to earn a living and survive?
Nana Kwaku Gyamfi II, is pleading with the government as well as the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to urgently step in and intervene to avert what they fear could lead to more bloodsheds that will disturb the peace in the area.
“We are pleading with President Mahama to call the security agencies to order and with Otumfuo to use his authority to bring both sides to the table before we witness another tragedy,” Nana Adu Gyamfi II said.
According to him, residents and for that matter the community is willing to see the end of the dispute, but the use of the military and machomen by management of Asanko Gold Mines has become the problem rather than the solution.
One of the youth leaders, who also spoke the media said the youth are ready to bury one of their own in such a cold blood manner again and therefore, appealing to the authorities avert the looming clash.
“We cannot afford another funeral before leaders act,” he told journalists after the press conference, adding, “If they won’t let us mine, then they should show us the legal alternative and stop sending soldiers to beat us.”
Recall, there has been tension between the residents and Asanko Gold Mines over the latter’s refusal to allow the residents to mine on a concession belonging to them at Tontokrom.
The residents claimed that the said concession was where all the residents had been mining to earn a living until the arrival of the firm recently and using the military and ‘machomen’ to stop them from mining there.
The residents claimed the firm had used the state security men to brutalise, arrest and at times, kill innocent residents for trying to earn their daily bread.
In March 2 last year, a clash between the residents and some private security men reportedly hired by the mining firm had led to the death of three people.
The well-built security personnel of the mining firm, who were wielding guns, were alleged to have opened fire on the youth leading to the death of one of the residents.
This action was said to have angered the youth who led a reprisal attack on the company’s hired security personnel and killing two of them.
Roadmap For Peace
Meanwhile the community leaders have outlined a series of demands meant to produce a peaceful resolution of the issue.
They want withdrawal of armed security presence within the community while talks proceed and an independent probe — a committee of inquiry comprising representatives of the Minerals Commission, the Regional House of Chiefs, Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, civil society, and the Attorney-General’s Department to investigate all previous clashes brutalities, and compensate the victims.
Additionally, they demand a negotiated community mining scheme that is legally demarcated for the residents to reduce friction at the concession boundaries among others.