Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama late Sunday ordered immediate investigations into circumstances surrounding the death of seven alleged illegal miners in a gun battle with the military on an Anglo-Gold Ashanti concession in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
This followed a statement by the Ghana military that its personnel stationed at the Anglo-Gold Ashanti concession in Obuasi had had an exchange of fire with the illegal miners, leading to the death of seven of the miners.
Mahama also tasked Anglo -Gold Ashanti to bear the medical expenses of the injured and support the bereaved families to organize the burial arrangement of those killed.
The military said in a statement on Sunday that at least seven illegal miners were killed and one seriously injured on Saturday during a gun battle with Ghanaian troops stationed at the AngloGold Ashanti concession in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
The military said about 60 illegal miners who had breached Anglo-Gold Ashanti’s mines security fence, intending to enter the Deep Decline of the mines in search of gold, opened fire on the military stationed at the mines.
“The military patrol deployed on Operation HALT II duties at the mentioned location was fired upon by the illegal miners when the soldiers tried to stop them from accessing the Deep Decline,” the military said.
The illegal miners were wielding locally manufactured rifles, pump-action guns, gas cylinders, knives, heavy-duty industrial bolt cutters, axes, and machetes, according to the statement.
“The troops returned fire in self-defence. The shootout led to the death of seven illegal miners and one seriously injured. The remaining illegal miners bolted. A soldier who was also hit by pellets from a pump-action gun and got injured has been treated,” added the statement.
It said six pump-action BB cartridges were retrieved, warning illegal miners to desist from entering into concessions of mining companies and stop engaging troops in shootouts, since that could lead to deaths. The Ghanaian government since 2010 has intensified its strategies to tackle illegal mining in the country as youth unemployment continues to drive many young people into the practice.