A Rocha Ghana raises alarm over human rights abuses in mining communities

A Rocha Ghana has raised concerns over escalating human rights abuses in mining-affected communities, citing alleged land encroachment, threats against residents, destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies.

The environmental organisation said farmers and other residents are increasingly losing their livelihoods and access to essential resources, while those who challenged mining activities faced intimidation.

The Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, raised the concerns at a press conference in Accra on Friday, October 16.

“Across Ghana's mining affected communities, people are losing more than just their lands. They are losing access to water, livelihoods, and increasingly the freedom to speak out without fear of intimidation,” he said.

Bosu said the reported abuses involves both large-scale mining operations and illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.

He cited the Electrochem Ghana salt mining project in the Ada East District, where he said more than 10,000 salt farmers faced eviction from their ancestral lands amid allegations of human rights abuses and ongoing investigations.

He also raised concerns about alleged encroachment on community lands in Ayensuano in the Eastern Region, where mining operators reportedly attempted to enter lands under a cooperative mining arrangement without obtaining the affected communities' consent.

Farmlands, water bodies under threat

The A Rocha Ghana deputy national director cited Kontukrom near Donkorkrom, where he said illegal mining activities had destroyed access routes to farmlands, leaving some farmers unable to transport their harvested produce.

He also mentioned Kenyasi Number Two, where illegal mining activities are allegedly polluting the Dansu River, which serves as a major water source for the community.

Bosu said residents who attempted to challenge the activities had reportedly faced threats and intimidation, while complaints to the relevant authorities had not resulted in effective action.

He further cited the case of a 61-year-old cocoa farmer at a town in the Ashanti Region, whose alleged eviction from her farm by a man wielding a cutlass was captured in a video that circulated on social media.

Calls for investigations, accountability

Bosu called on district assemblies and district chief executives in mining-affected areas to account for their roles in facilitating cooperative mining arrangements and to halt any coercive entry onto community lands pending independent investigations.

He also urged the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority to investigate alleged illegal mining activities and enforce licensing, environmental permitting and land reclamation requirements.

He said the police and other security agencies must respond promptly to complaints from affected communities and prosecute those found responsible for threats and intimidation.

The organisation further called on the government to adequately resource the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to investigate alleged abuses and help affected residents obtain justice.

“We cannot accept a situation where communities are expected to surrender their land, livelihoods, water, and safety in the name of mining,” he stressed.