CHRAJ to probe human rights abuses in mining communities

Accra, June 28, GNA - The National Coalition on Mining (NCOM) on Wednesday called on the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate alleged human rights abuses in some mining communities.

Presenting a memorandum to the Commission, Alhaji Abdulai Darimani, a member of the Coalition, cited several instances of acts of violence by some mining companies that had resulted in severe human rights abuses such as injuries, loss of property and even death of innocent people. Alhaji Darimani said the absence of a policy framework to guide mining operations had led to imbalance between benefits accrued by mining companies and affected communities.

He said very little had been achieved at the national level from mining, saying that operations had failed to translate into building the productive capacity and wealth for mining communities.

"The mining industry contributes only five per cent to GDP and about 12 per cent to Government revenue. The large scale industry directly employs only 18,000 people and yet there is escalating environmental and social cost externalized by the industry", he said

"These conditions set the stage for dissent. With loss of farm lands, clean environment, housing and fresh water, coupled with unsustainable alternative sources of livelihood. Most communities on the fringes on mines logically protest... calling the attention of the State and the mining companies to their right to access to minimum of decent existence," he said.

He said some State security agencies, especially the Military, under the guise of enforcing law and order, deployed violent tactics that contributed to more brutalities, adding: "Ghanaians are entitled to question the legitimacy of the practice of deploying the State military and their use to offer protection to private companies". Alhaji Darimani called on CHRAJ to investigate the possible abuse of office by regulators such as the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Awudu Mohammed, native of Kumasi, in a witness account, narrated to the Commission his ordeal with some security officials of AngloGold Ashanti last year, after his father's cocoa farm was forcibly occupied for mining operations.

He said the situation compelled him to depend on galamsey operations for his livelihood, until his encounter with AngloGold Security Officials, who shot him at the back.

He said the most painful aspect of his story was that he was threatened not to reveal the truth, and because he did, the Company had failed to offer any help to him for the past 10 months.

Ms Anna Bossman, Commissioner for CHRAJ, said the Commission hoped to organise a stakeholders meeting with mining companies and the affected communities to discuss possible ways to address the problem. She said the Commission operated within the confines of justice and was ready to listen to both parties and come out with facts to reveal whether or not there had been any such violation.

Ms Bossman urged the Coalition to present a petition with specific claims that would serve as a guideline for investigations.