Two people, including a local resident and a land guard, have reportedly died following a violent clash on Thursday at Kraboa, a farming community in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region.
The incident erupted when farmers, angered by ongoing sand-winning activities that have ravaged their farmlands, blocked a road to prevent the transport of sand from their community.
Eyewitnesses report that tensions escalated after land guards protecting the sand winners attacked the protesting farmers with gunfire. In retaliation, the farmers fought back, resulting in the death of a protesting farmer and one of the land guards.
“In the morning, the local chief, Yaw Asiedu, came here with land guards. For about a month, they’ve been destroying our farms to mine sand. Our cassava and other crops are being ruined. When we protested, the police initially intervened, but later in the evening, the land guards returned with guns. They killed one of us and injured five others,” an eyewitness recounted.
The injured residents, some of whom sustained gunshot wounds, were rushed to the Koforidua Regional Hospital for medical care.
According to witnesses, about 50 armed land guards, reportedly led by the local chief, arrived in a convoy of vehicles and motorcycles, sparking the violent confrontation.
Residents claim that the Coaltar Police prioritized the safety of the injured land guard over the native farmer who was fatally shot.
A History of Conflict
The Ayensuano District has long grappled with illegal sand-winning activities, which have led to frequent violent clashes between farmers and sand winners.
Armed land guards, allegedly hired by sand-winning operators, often intimidate and terrorize residents while farmlands are destroyed.
This latest tragedy has heightened tensions in Kraboa, with residents calling for urgent government intervention to stop the illegal sand-winning menace and ensure their safety.
“This has gone too far. Our livelihoods are being destroyed, and now lives are being lost. We need the government to act now to save us,” one distraught farmer said.
The community awaits action from local authorities and law enforcement to restore peace and protect their lands from further exploitation.
