A renewed illegal mining siege on the Tano-Anwia forest reserve in the Aowin municipality of the Western region has turned deadly, leaving two people dead and one in critical condition.
The violent clash occurred on Wednesday, January 22, when two armed groups, allegedly led by known political activists, engaged in a fight.
The groups have taken over the biodiversity area and have been mining illegally since the change in government, posing a significant threat to the lives of forestry officials and concessionaires.
Sources claim that the Member of Parliament for the area is sponsoring the fresh siege, but he has denied involvement, admitting only that the miners are “party boys”.
The situation took a darker turn when members of a rapid response team, dispatched to stop the illegality, were accosted by the illegal miners on motorbikes, taken to an unknown location, and assaulted.
The forestry guards reported that their weapons were seized, and they were subjected to severe beatings.
The Forestry Commission has confirmed that forest guards are no longer able to perform their duties due to the latest invasion.
The affected forest reserves include Tano Anwia, Tano Nimri, and the Yoo Yoo forests, which have been ravaged by illegal mining activities.
This incident highlights the ongoing struggle to combat illegal mining in Ghana’s protected forest reserves.
The government and environmental agencies have been working to address the issue, but the latest violence underscores the need for more effective measures to protect the country’s natural resources.
