Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, is expected to visit Persuas Mining Company early Sunday morning, August 25, 2019, following a deadly clash between residents of Ayamfuri and Operations Vanguard in the Central Region.
Public Relations Officer of the Lands Ministry, Abraham Otabil, told DGN Online that at 6:00am, the Minister will be embarking on the trip.
His visit is among other things, to find out at first hand, the cause of the violence that reportedly led to the deaths of two persons.
The clash, DGN Online gathered, occurred on Friday, August 23, 2019.
Operations Vanguard is an anti-illegal mining or galamsey taskforce.
According to sources, the incident happened as a result of the alleged refusal by Perseus Mining company in the area to cede part of its concession for small-scale miners in the vicinity.
Information gathered indicates that the residents, mainly illegal miners evaded the mines tailing which were being protected from encroachment because it contained cyanide.
The personnel from the anti-illegal mining task were therefore called in to help drive the alleged illegal miners away and in the process, the confrontation ensued.
Unconfirmed reports had it that the illegal miners fired gun at the personnel of the taskforce, and in a bid to protect themselves, the team fired back to disperse the agitated illegal miners, which resulted in the deaths of the two.
Initial reports were that eight persons, including five residents and three military personnel were killed in the incident.
However, a source at the mining company confirmed that two persons lost their lives on that fateful Friday.
The deceased persons, the paper gathered, were all residents of Ayamfuri and included the kingpin of the alleged illegal miners in the area.
According to sources, the galamsey kingpin died on the spot while the other deceased person was pronounced dead on arrival at the Dunkwaw Government Hospital in Central Region.
The paper also leant that one of the personnel of the anti-galamsey task force sustained gun shot wound and was treated at a clinical and later discharged.
Deborah Mensah, a residents told DAILY GUIDE that rather, four persons died and that the incident happened when some youth in the area who were transporting some sand in a trycycle were attacked by the military personnel.
Meanwhile, when contacted, a source at Operation Vanguard indicated that no death was recorded during the incident and that if any one was reported dead, it was not as a result of the clash.
BY Melvin Tarlue