Information available to Ghenvironment.com has revealed that, some unknown persons had moved mining equipment including excavators to Atronsu, a farming community in the Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai Municipality of the Western North Region. According to our sources, the mining equipment had been moved to the site currently under litigation at the Sefwi Wiawso High Court. In November 2022, the government of Ghana launched the Atronsu-Ampenkrom Community Mining Scheme but the youth of the community vehemently rejected this. The initiative was commissioned on November 18, 2022, by Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, promising to protect water bodies in the area including river Atronsu. But, having witnessed the havoc being caused to communities already engaged in the Community Mining Scheme including the footprint of polluted river bodies, the youth of Atronsu kicked against it by holding a series of demonstrations to ask the Minerals Commission to withdraw the mining licence issued for the mining activities. Standing firm in rejecting the community mining in the area, the aggrieved youth under the name, the Atronsu Youth/Farmers Anti-Community Mining/Small Scale Mining Group managed to secure an injunction on the mining activities at the Sefwi Wiawso High Court and it is pending.
The community mining scheme rejected by the residents of Atronsu in 2022
When the injunction was served, the company moved its equipment from the site, waiting for the court to adjudicate the matter. It has therefore come as a surprise to residents of the area after seeing the movement of mining equipment yesterday to the site that is still under litigation. “Currently we don’t know who is behind the movement of this equipment but what we all know is that, the case is still in court and until the determination of the case, no one can mine here” Patrick Japheth Danso, a local activist told ghenvironment.com. He revealed that, leaders of the community had reported the issue to the appropriate authorities after seeing the mining equipment this morning and were hopeful that, those behind would be unmasked and driven away from the community. Danso intimated that, the youth of the community would not trade their farm lands and water resources for any form of mining in the area and would continue to resist mining activities in the locality. This is a developing story. More soon.