Galamsey operators at work
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12th December, 2011
'Galamsey' Men Go On The Rampage... 6 Arrested
Six people were on Friday arrested by the police for their involvement in the destruction of property in a rampage at Damang near Tarkwa in the Western Region.
The six were part of an angry mob of illegal miners who went on a rampage and destroyed properties including burning down a car believed to belong to the chief of Amoanda, Nana Kofi Ngoro II, in Huni Valley.
The mob who were said to be protesting against their eviction from the Damang Mines by a military cum Police task force, smashed the glasses of a 16-seater Hundai bus belonging to the Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL).
They also allegedly blocked the main road from Damang to Huni Valley and looted a shop of bags of rice meant for the workers of GFGL.
According to DSP Godwin Opoku-Kodua, Commander of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), but for the timely intervention of the security, the situation would have been grave.
The action of the mob who were engaged in galamsey (illegal mining) operation directed their anger against GFGL because of a crack down on them by the joint police military detachment. The joint security team had been deployed to Damang to eject the illegal miners from the Kwabena Aho part of GFGL mining concession.
Apart from the illegal occupation of the GFGL concession, the about 2,500 illegal miners are said to have degraded the environment in total disregard of any safety rules.
“The galamseyers have taken over the GFGL concession over a period and the National Security decided to flush them out,” Lt. Alfred Mastei, the Public Relation Officer of Two Garrison here told the “Times”.
According to DSP Opoku-Koduah, his team engaged the miners in a peaceful dialogue to persuade them to quit the area, but they did not listen, adding; “we had to use some force to flush them out.”
For over five hours he said, the stalemate continued as the illegal miners shouted and chanted “we’ll die here”, “this is over heritage,” “we are all Ghanaians,” “Kill us here”.
The security men reportedly fired tear gas to disperse the illegal miners who burnt down equipment including water pumps, drilling machines and pipes belonging to the GFGL.
The six were part of an angry mob of illegal miners who went on a rampage and destroyed properties including burning down a car believed to belong to the chief of Amoanda, Nana Kofi Ngoro II, in Huni Valley.
The mob who were said to be protesting against their eviction from the Damang Mines by a military cum Police task force, smashed the glasses of a 16-seater Hundai bus belonging to the Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL).
They also allegedly blocked the main road from Damang to Huni Valley and looted a shop of bags of rice meant for the workers of GFGL.
According to DSP Godwin Opoku-Kodua, Commander of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), but for the timely intervention of the security, the situation would have been grave.
The action of the mob who were engaged in galamsey (illegal mining) operation directed their anger against GFGL because of a crack down on them by the joint police military detachment. The joint security team had been deployed to Damang to eject the illegal miners from the Kwabena Aho part of GFGL mining concession.
Apart from the illegal occupation of the GFGL concession, the about 2,500 illegal miners are said to have degraded the environment in total disregard of any safety rules.
“The galamseyers have taken over the GFGL concession over a period and the National Security decided to flush them out,” Lt. Alfred Mastei, the Public Relation Officer of Two Garrison here told the “Times”.
According to DSP Opoku-Koduah, his team engaged the miners in a peaceful dialogue to persuade them to quit the area, but they did not listen, adding; “we had to use some force to flush them out.”
For over five hours he said, the stalemate continued as the illegal miners shouted and chanted “we’ll die here”, “this is over heritage,” “we are all Ghanaians,” “Kill us here”.
The security men reportedly fired tear gas to disperse the illegal miners who burnt down equipment including water pumps, drilling machines and pipes belonging to the GFGL.
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