Some licensed miners of the National Concerned Small Scale Miners Association at Manso Nyankomase in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region are accusing the military of harassment and extortion in the community.
The group alleges that some soldiers deployed to the area to supervise an ongoing reclamation exercise continue to demand money from them and, consequently, subject them to physical assault if they fail to comply.
Some military officers were deployed to the community in October 2024 following a pushback by the residents over the reclamation of a concession, which they allege was contracted to an individual by the government.
The resistance resulted in confrontations between residents and the military, leaving five people injured.
The residents subsequently staged another protest to vent their displeasure over the alleged brutalities and demand accountability from authorities.
Calm was restored to the area following a local government intervention; however, the military officers remained stationed in the community.
This, the miners say, the military is taking advantage of the reclamation exercise to harass licensed miners at their various mining sites.
Some of the affected miners are still nursing the injuries they have sustained following the alleged military brutality.
The miners have warned the military to carry out their operations within the confines of the law or face resistance against any attempt to oppress and harass them.
Additionally, they alleged that the military officers confiscate their equipment, which is not handed over to the police but rather kept at the reclamation site.
Members of the National Concerned Small Scale Miners Association in the Amansie South District, in a statement, condemned the development and called for immediate intervention by the Ghana Armed Forces and the Military High Command to probe the matter.
The group has also called on the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry to initiate investigations into the claims and take appropriate actions to safeguard them.
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