Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has committed to resolving the ongoing conflict between residents of Manso Tontokrom in the Ashanti Region and the mining company Asanko Gold Ltd.
The dispute, which began over five years ago when Asanko Gold Ltd sought to claim ownership of a local mining site, has escalated, leading to a fatal clash between the company’s security personnel and local youth on March 3, 2024.
The violence resulted in the deaths of three individuals and has intensified calls from the Tontokrom community for the establishment of a community mining scheme as a permanent solution to the disturbances.
During a recent engagement with the community, Duker assured residents that the Ministry is actively working to address their concerns and resolve the conflict. He urged patience and emphasized the importance of dialogue over violence.
“The clash that led to the death of the three persons is unfortunate,” Duker stated. “We pray such incidents do not reoccur. We should use dialogue rather than violence to resolve issues.”
Duker expressed his commitment to addressing the community’s request for a mining scheme and encouraged the community and the company to work together towards a harmonious resolution.
He stressed the need for cooperation between companies and local communities to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.
Kwabena Animuonyam, Unit Committee Chairman of Tontokrom, voiced the community’s satisfaction with Duker’s assurances. “Residents of Tontokrom are content with the assurance.
All we are seeking is a community mining scheme, and we are looking forward to it,” he said.
The management of Asanko Gold Ltd. has also expressed a willingness to cooperate but has called for the Minister’s intervention to facilitate access to their concession in Tontokrom.
Dr Charles Amoah, Managing Director of Asanko Gold Mines, highlighted the operational challenges posed by their inability to access the site, which has increased costs for the company.
“We know we can’t mine in a vacuum, so we try as much as possible to dialogue. For now, we cannot access our site in Tontokrom, which is bringing a lot of cost to the company,” Amoah said.
As peace talks continue, the Tontokrom community remains steadfast in its demand to establish a community mining scheme as the key to ending the ongoing disturbances.
