A Ghanaian activist, Oliver Barker Vormawor, who organized a recent protest against illegal mining, has been denied bail alongside 11 others, despite his deteriorating health.
Vormawor, who is Cambridge-educated, appeared in court on Thursday, pleading not guilty to multiple charges, including unlawful assembly and assaulting a public officer.
The activist has been remanded in police custody for two weeks and is being treated at a police hospital for an undisclosed illness. He led a three-day protest against “galamsey” – the local term for illegal mining – which has been linked to the pollution of 60% of Ghana’s water bodies. Environmental analysts warn that if the issue persists, Ghana may be forced to import water by 2030.
Last weekend’s protests, organized by Democracy Hub, saw clashes with police in Accra, leading to several arrests. Protesters voiced concerns over the damaging effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water resources. However, the police accused them of obstructing traffic and dismantling barriers.
Among those arrested was reportedly a pregnant woman, Vera Lamptey, but the police have denied this claim. Opposition leader John Mahama has criticized the police’s heavy-handed response, calling it an abuse of citizens’ rights to protest.
Ghana, Africa’s leading gold producer, has struggled to curb illegal mining despite previous crackdowns. President Nana Akufo-Addo has ordered security forces to tackle the issue, though similar efforts in 2017 failed to resolve the problem. The country is set to elect a new president on December 7, as Akufo-Addo steps down after completing two terms in office.
