3 die in clashes between Asanko mines security and Tontokrom illegal miners

Three people have been confirmed dead in Manso Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region in violent gun and machete clashes between illegal miners and Asanko Mines private security.

This follows an invasion of Asanko Mines concession by illegal miners with the alleged support of the Tontokrom traditional leaders.

On March 1, 2024, the Tontokrom traditional leaders and community members protested against Asanko Mines for refusing to release part of its legal concession for small scale mining.

The community said the giant mining firm is intimidating the community members with armed police and military personnel in an attempt to seize their lands for large-scale mining.

Addressing the media, Adu Gyamfi Kumanin a chief in Tontokrom called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to compel the mining firm to release the said concession to the community for community mining to check unemployment in the area.

The traditional leader threatened a bloodbath if Asanko mines continued to use armed military and police personnel to intimidate them over the concession they are demanding for community mining.

A day after the Tontokrom community protested against the mining firm, private security personnel clashed with the illegal miners on the said concession, during which one of the illegal miners was allegedly shot dead by the mining firm’s private security detail.

The angry miners retreated and remobilized themselves against the Asanko Mines private security personnel, lynching two in the reprisal attack.

Confirming the development to GHOne News Ashanti Regional correspondent Isaac Justice Bediako, the District Chief Executive for Amansie South Opoku Gyemfi said ”Currently, the briefing I have received is that three people have so far died in the clashes. We are working at the moment to restore calm in the area,’’ he said.

Asanko Mines environment and sustainability manager Eric Darko also confirmed that private security personnel deployed to the mines concession invaded by the illegal miners have been lynched by the illegal miners with machete on Saturday, March 2, 2024

The incident occurred days after the Asanko Mines used the military and police to recapture the invaded concession by the illegal miners and stationed private security personnel to police the concession.