By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, Jan. 14, GNA – A group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called on the police administration to independently investigate the shooting incident that left three people dead at the Newmont Ahafo South Mine’s enclave.
“We are extremely concerned by the incident at Newmont’s Ahafo South mines, where reports indicate that police officers who were protecting Newmont’s site shot and killed three people and injured others on January 8, 2025”, the CSOs stated in a joint statement.
A copy of the statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani was jointly signed by Kwaku Afari, the Technical Director, Wacam, Alhassan Iddrissu, the Legal Advocate, the Centre for Public Interest Law, Dr Samuel Obiri, the Executive Director, Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis.
The other signatories include Mr Raphael Ahenu, the Executive Director, Global Media Foundation and Mr Robert Tanti Ali, the Executive Director, Centre for Social Impact Studies.
“The Inspector General Police should investigate the conduct of the police personnel deployed to protect Newmont and the incident that have resulted in the needless deaths and injuries to poor and vulnerable people”, it stated.
It also called on the IGP to “conduct independent investigations into the underlying insecurity and human rights violations in mining communities, particularly those impacted by Newmont Ahafo North and South activities”, it stated.
The statement called for the review of the security protocols in mining areas, recognising the rights of mining affected communities, stressing the importance for the nation to hold mining companies accountable by requiring them to take on greater responsibility to protect the rights of individuals in mining communities.
That should be aimed at preventing future incidents of gross human right abuses, ensuring that mining companies and law enforcement agencies operate within the tenets and boundaries of the law and respect for human rights.
It expressed concern that “the systemic trend of insecurities and harassment which had led to deaths and severe injuries to people in mining communities due to the employment of state and private security personnel by multinational mining companies to protect their concessions had been treated with undue leniency by state agencies”.
The statement added that “the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees the right to life and the right to fair trial and where individuals are alleged or accused to be engaged in illegal mining activities does not warrant extra-judicial actions”.
GNA