Challenging Heights condemns clashes between military and Obuasi youth

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT organisation, Challenging Heights, has condemned, in no uncertain terms, the clashes between the military on the premises of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mines and some members of the Obuasi community. 

The loss of eight lives and the injuries caused as a result of the clashes, it said, were unfortunate and should have been prevented at all costs.

“We are disappointed that the victims of this regrettable incident have quickly been labelled as thugs or illegal miners, when no investigation or report has established same. 

Matters

“These are matters of human and environmental rights that require that the side of the local people are listened to.”

“It is obvious to us that mining is fast becoming a national security threat. Clashes of this nature have been regular news in our recent history,” a statement signed by the Advocacy Officer of the organisation, Emmanuel Annobil”, said.

Members of mining communities across the country, it said, continued to be impoverished as human rights abuses of the local people in those areas persisted.

“While we acknowledge that the mining companies are permitted in law to undertake their operations, it is also incumbent on them to respect the rights of the local people and their environment.”

“We support the call made by the government of Ghana for AngloGold Ashanti to foot the medical bills of those injured and for the burials of those who died.”

The President’s call for an investigation into the clashes is commendable,” it said. 

However, the statement called for a commission of inquiry into the military clashes with the members of the Obuasi community and believed that asking one security agency to probe into the actions of another security agency might not engender confidence in the report.

Therefore, it said, while the police were carrying out their criminal investigations as by their mandate, a commission of inquiry which was more open and transparent would be able to come out with a report that addressed all aspects of the incident.

Challenging Heights is a Ghanaian human and environmental rights organisation that has been working in Ghana in the past 20 years.