Military patrol at mining site turns chaotic
By DL news
Published
1 min read
On Tuesday, groups of illegal miners together with some residents carried the body to the military detachment at Esaase in protest.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) patrol exercise at the Asanko Gold Limited concession in the Ashanti Region descended into violence on Monday after soldiers came across illegal miners operating within restricted sections of the concession.
In an attempt to escape from the troops, a young man is said to have fallen into an abandoned pit, where he drowned.
On Tuesday, groups of illegal miners together with some residents carried the body to the military detachment at Esaase in protest. Before the arrival of the police to collect it, the crowd retrieved the remains and left.
The protest escalated quickly as the miners, supported by community members from nearby towns, attacked the company and torched 14 pieces of equipment, including articulated trucks, excavators, bulldozers, drilling machines, tipper trucks, and a pick-up.
A press statement issued by the GAF on Tuesday, and signed by Naval Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of the Department of Public Relations, said the confrontation also resulted in injuries to Samuel Danquah, assemblyman for Manso Aboabo, who had been called to calm tensions. He was later pronounced dead at a clinic in Nkwai.
The GAF explained that its personnel were deployed to the Asanko Gold concession following consultations in July 2025 between the company, the Regional Security Council, the Amansie West and South District Security Councils, and representatives of the illegal miners.
The deployment, the release noted, was aimed at deterring unauthorized intrusions and safeguarding lives and property.The statement added that the military expressed “deep regrets” for the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families and affected communities.
It also urged residents of Mpatuam and other mining areas to refrain from arming themselves when dealing with the Armed Forces.“We urge all citizens to cooperate with the Armed Forces and refrain from acts that endanger lives or undermine national security,” the release said.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has begun investigations into the incident.
