GAF on why there was a confrontation with Mpatoam community members at Asanko mine which led to death of Assemblyman
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed that a violent confrontation at the Asanko Gold Ghana Ltd concession at Mpatoam in the Amansie West District of Ashanti on Tuesday led to the death of the Assembly member for Manso Aboabo, Samuel Danquah on Tuesday.
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In a press statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, by the Department of Public Relations at Burma Camp, the GAF said it deployed personnel to the concession in July 2025 after engagements between the mine’s management, the Regional and District Security Councils, and representatives of illegal miners.
The deployment, it explained, was to protect lives, property and to prevent encroachment.
According to the GAF, the incident began on Monday, September 8, 2025, when troops on routine patrol encountered illegal miners operating within restricted zones of the concession. The miners fled, but in the process, a young man reportedly fell into an abandoned pit and drowned.
The following day, groups of illegal miners and residents carried the body to the military base at Esaase in protest. Before the police could arrive to retrieve it, the group took back the body.
The protest escalated, and demonstrators attacked the concession, setting fire to 14 pieces of heavy-duty equipment, including excavators, bulldozers and articulated trucks.
The GAF said reinforcements were called in and warning shots were fired to disperse the crowd. In the confrontation, Mr Danquah, who was among the demonstrators, sustained injuries and was later pronounced dead at a clinic in Nkawie.
“The Ghana Armed Forces deeply regrets the loss of lives and extends its condolences to the bereaved families and the community,” the statement said.
It also cautioned residents of Mpatoam and other mining communities against arming themselves to confront troops, urging cooperation to avoid further loss of life and to safeguard national security.
The Ghana Police Service has since opened investigations into the matter it said.
