Restrict mining - Groups

African Biodiversity Network (ABN), a coalition of civil society groups on the continent, has called for the strict control of mining in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

According to ABN, mining threatens the continent’s water bodies and territories and does not create jobs that contribute to the wellbeing of the people.

African Biodiversity Network champions environment and food sovereignty on the African continent.

Agnes Kirabo, an executive member, ABN, who made this known at a press conference in Accra, said communities do not benefit from mining, adding that mining enriches a few people for a short time but impoverishes many by taking land and other productive resources which would have been used for crop production.

“We are deeply concerned about the runaway scale and intensity of mining we are now witnessing, and the impact it is already having on the communities. There is no such thing as sustainable mining,” she indicated.

Ms Kirabo called on African governments to stop the promotion of extraction which would not generate enormous income to put them in the league of the ‘developed world.’

She called for support for the growing food sovereignty movement to revive Africa’s diverse food systems and encourage resilience in the continent’s food system.

“We support the strengthening of our diverse, ecologically adapted African food systems which have generated an enormous diversity of crops on the continent,” Ms Kirabo said.

She entreated academics, religious and civil society leaders and social movements to join forces to campaign to boost the unique African heritage and stop the dumping of foreign systems and products in Africa.

“As a network, we are committed to building community cohesion and resilience and ensuring that the communities we work with have a full understanding of the impact of extraction on ecosystems and their future options.”