Over 4,000 illegal miners relocated from Obuasi mine

The Minerals Commission says it has successfully relocated all illegal miners who invaded the AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Obuasi Mines concession earlier this year, whiles government partners to mine the over eight million ounces of gold deposits in the Obuasi mine.

These illegal miners, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Tony Aubynn, have moved to the newly designated area which forms part of the AngloGold Ashanti concession it ceded to the government.

 Dr. Aubynn, providing update at a media conference on the status of the relocation exercise said: “We are happy to announce that as at Friday Nov. 25, 2016, all informal miners have been successfully moved from the previously occupied areas of AGAG’s concession.

“At the end of the relocation about 3,350 informal miners have been relocated from the AGAG concession to the northern part of the ceded area comprising Abedwum, Adumanu and Jacobu”.

In addition, he said, 750 informal miners were also moved to the southern part of the ceded area comprising Kotopreso, Tema Rigde, Amponyase and Akasu with the last group of 100 informal miners being removed from the Abompe area of the AGAG concession and are currently going through the plot allocation process within the ceded areas.

He confirmed that there are no illegal miners operating at the designated concession areas that were occupied early this year and that as the relocation exercise is over, AngloGold Ashanti would be sealing-off all the evacuated areas and permanently secure these areas to prevent future invasions whilst the military and police personnel continue to provide security.

Dr Aubynn said the exercise was successful through the collaboration of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), which established and executed a roadmap to ensure that the relocation was carried out within a judicious frame devoid of incident.

He urged prospective small-scale miners to endeavour to acquire legal mining permits to operate rather than resorting to mining on the concessions of large scale mines.

Dr. Aubynn said such actions impact negatively on the image of the country and drives away prospective investors from the mining sector thereby impacting negatively on the economy.

He explained that the relocation was done after extensive consultation in a bid to ensure that the miners were evacuated from the place without any bloodshed.

“This thing shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but it is so difficult to control things that are illegal. In a situation where you have a large number of people, you don’t want to do anything that will lead to violent confrontation. Government insisted we should get them out but there should be no bloodshed in the process,” he added.

He said the Minerals Commission, together with National Security and AngloGold Ashanti were working to ensure that there was a complete evacuation of the illegal occupants.

In a bid to forestall any violent confrontation during the relocation exercise, the government opted to negotiate the exit of these unauthorised operators from the AGA mine.

A committee was subsequently constituted to oversee the relocation of the informal miners from the concession to the surrendered areas. Members of the committee during their six-week period of work met with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the exercise was carried out successfully.

These engagements were also to help the informal miners to formalise their operations and to work within the confines of the Minerals and Mining laws of Ghana and belong to cooperatives.

Early this year, a group of informal miners invaded the AGA Obuasi mine and worked illegally on the concession of AGA amid safety concerns, and this resulted in numerous reported accidents and casualties underground.

AngloGold, however, agreed to cede about 60 per cent of its concession to government through the Minerals Commission, which it has done and has been prepared for the informal miners to enable them to relocate and still have a place to mine.

In February this year, hundreds of illegal miners invaded the fenced area of AngloGold Ashanti’s Obausi mine which led to the death of a senior management staff, John Owusu.

The takeover of the Obuasi mine by the illegal miners impacted negatively on AngloGold’s operations and its optimized feasibility studies.

AngloGold Ashanti hopes that the commencement of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes proceedings will expedite the reinstatement of law and order at the mine.

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana had to suspend its underground mining operations at the Obuasi Mine at the end of 2014 after incurring heavy financial losses over several years.

The Minerals Commission says it has successfully relocated all illegal miners who invaded the AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Obuasi Mines concession earlier this year, whiles government partners to mine the over eight million ounces of gold deposits in the Obuasi mine.

These illegal miners, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Tony Aubynn, have moved to the newly designated area which forms part of the AngloGold Ashanti concession it ceded to the government.

 Dr. Aubynn, providing update at a media conference on the status of the relocation exercise said: “We are happy to announce that as at Friday Nov. 25, 2016, all informal miners have been successfully moved from the previously occupied areas of AGAG’s concession.

“At the end of the relocation about 3,350 informal miners have been relocated from the AGAG concession to the northern part of the ceded area comprising Abedwum, Adumanu and Jacobu”.

In addition, he said, 750 informal miners were also moved to the southern part of the ceded area comprising Kotopreso, Tema Rigde, Amponyase and Akasu with the last group of 100 informal miners being removed from the Abompe area of the AGAG concession and are currently going through the plot allocation process within the ceded areas.

He confirmed that there are no illegal miners operating at the designated concession areas that were occupied early this year and that as the relocation exercise is over, AngloGold Ashanti would be sealing-off all the evacuated areas and permanently secure these areas to prevent future invasions whilst the military and police personnel continue to provide security.

Dr Aubynn said the exercise was successful through the collaboration of the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), which established and executed a roadmap to ensure that the relocation was carried out within a judicious frame devoid of incident.

He urged prospective small-scale miners to endeavour to acquire legal mining permits to operate rather than resorting to mining on the concessions of large scale mines.

Dr. Aubynn said such actions impact negatively on the image of the country and drives away prospective investors from the mining sector thereby impacting negatively on the economy.

He explained that the relocation was done after extensive consultation in a bid to ensure that the miners were evacuated from the place without any bloodshed.

“This thing shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but it is so difficult to control things that are illegal. In a situation where you have a large number of people, you don’t want to do anything that will lead to violent confrontation. Government insisted we should get them out but there should be no bloodshed in the process,” he added.

He said the Minerals Commission, together with National Security and AngloGold Ashanti were working to ensure that there was a complete evacuation of the illegal occupants.

In a bid to forestall any violent confrontation during the relocation exercise, the government opted to negotiate the exit of these unauthorised operators from the AGA mine.

A committee was subsequently constituted to oversee the relocation of the informal miners from the concession to the surrendered areas. Members of the committee during their six-week period of work met with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the exercise was carried out successfully.

These engagements were also to help the informal miners to formalise their operations and to work within the confines of the Minerals and Mining laws of Ghana and belong to cooperatives.

Early this year, a group of informal miners invaded the AGA Obuasi mine and worked illegally on the concession of AGA amid safety concerns, and this resulted in numerous reported accidents and casualties underground.

AngloGold, however, agreed to cede about 60 per cent of its concession to government through the Minerals Commission, which it has done and has been prepared for the informal miners to enable them to relocate and still have a place to mine.

In February this year, hundreds of illegal miners invaded the fenced area of AngloGold Ashanti’s Obausi mine which led to the death of a senior management staff, John Owusu.

The takeover of the Obuasi mine by the illegal miners impacted negatively on AngloGold’s operations and its optimized feasibility studies.

AngloGold Ashanti hopes that the commencement of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes proceedings will expedite the reinstatement of law and order at the mine.

AngloGold Ashanti Ghana had to suspend its underground mining operations at the Obuasi Mine at the end of 2014 after incurring heavy financial losses over several years.

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