President John Mahama has ordered an investigation into violence between illegal miners and soldiers of the Ghanaian army that left nine people dead. “The miners, armed with locally made rifles, pump-action guns, knives, axes, gas cylinders, and other tools, opened fire on military personnel when confronted. In self-defence, the soldiers returned fire, resulting in the fatalities…,” an army spokesperson said.
More than a million people are reportedly engaged in the practice, with unemployed youths said to be the “key drivers”. The country’s cocoa industry is under threat as illegal mining devastates farms. This, according to analysts, is a major headache for the new president.
The Ghana Coalition Against ‘Galamsey’ – the local term for illegal mining – has called on the president to declare a state of emergency on “all water bodies” and deploy the army to remove illegal miners.
