Sunyani, (Bono), Jan. 22, GNA – Justice for Mining Affected Communities (JMAC), a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, has condemned the killings of nine suspected illegal miners at the AngloGold Ashanti Mining concession.

The deceased were gunned down by the military during an alleged exchange of bullets at the company’s mining site at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.

A statement issued and signed by Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation and the lead organisations of the JMAC, comprising 15 CSOs, described the incident as a “gross violation of human rights.

” Accusing the military and the authorities of the mine of using “excessive force,” the statement said it was also unfortunate that the deceased were labelled as illegal miners.

“That was a tragic and unnecessary loss of lives,” a copy of the statement made available to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani on Wednesday indicated, saying, “It is unacceptable that the precious lives of Ghanaians, many of whom are from impoverished mining communities, continue to be treated with such disdain.

“The militarization of mining security must stop now,” it said, saying preliminary investigations conducted by the JMAC in the mining community revealed that “some of the people killed are not illegal miners.

“In fact the community members claimed that some of the people killed were not illegal miners but locals attempting to eke out a living in an already resource-deprived region,” it added.

The statement criticized AngloGold Ashanti “for failing to implement adequate measures to resolve conflicts with the local mining communities peacefully.

“The company must take responsibility for the actions of its contracted security forces and address the systemic problems that led to such confrontations,” it added.

It also called for an independent investigation into the killings, demanding transparency and accountability in the process too, and urged the government to prioritize alternative livelihoods for mining-affected communities to address the remote causes of the growing illegal mining activities in the country.

The statement stressed the commitment of the coalition to intensify advocacy and fight for the rights and dignity of the vulnerable in mining communities, assuring to ensure fairness in its dealings.

“In fact that tragic incident reignites the debates on the need for inclusive policies that balance resource extraction with the welfare of local populations,” it added.