A devastating incident occurred at the AngloGold Ashanti mine in Ghana’s Ashanti Region on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of 7-9 unarmed miners.
The Ghanaian small-scale miners’ association reported that nine people were killed and 14 severely injured, while the army claimed that seven illegal miners were killed in a firefight.
According to Kofi Adams, local chairman of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners, the victims were not armed, and the incident was “unprecedented” and “difficult to understand.”
In contrast, Ghana’s armed forces stated that about 60 illegal miners breached the mine’s security fence, fired on a military patrol, and sparked a shootout.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has ordered an immediate investigation into the “tragic” incident. The government has also requested that AngloGold Ashanti cover the medical expenses of the injured and the cost of burials.
The incident raises concerns about the use of force by the military and the safety of miners in Ghana. AngloGold Ashanti, which owns the Iduapriem and Obuasi mines in southern Ghana, has not commented on the incident. The mines produced over 490,000 ounces of gold last year.
