Concerned Small-Scale Miners in Amansie South cry over harassment by security agencies

Members of the Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, has accused elements within the nation's security services and politically connected individuals of harrassment ,extortion ,illegal seizure of mining equipment under the guise of fighting illegal mining.

Members are also decrying rampant harassment by security agencies at their mining concessions.

The outcry follows a two-day operation carried out by security agencies at Manso Watreso, Adagya, and other communities in the Amansie South, Ashanti region, during which over seven excavators were seized. The machines were reportedly parked at various locations and not in operation.

A visit to the sites, on Saturday,October 17,2026,revealed that security personnel had destroyed several pieces of equipment belonging to the miners.

Speaking to one of the affected members, Philip Kwabena Bawa, opined that since they are not working in forest zones River bodies, they see the action as Harrassment and are calling on the minister for lands and natural resources to intervene in their situation.

Mr Bawa, who is the Head of Operations of the Association, alleged that powerful figures are running parallel, unsanctioned task forces in the area,targeting small_scale Miners for personal gain.

He described the situation as dire, stating that the activities of these groups undermine not just mining but fundamental human rights and Ghana’s anti_corruption efforts.

"Intimidation and alleged extortion of small_scale Miners by some elements within law enforcement agencies ,especially the police ,national security, politically exposed person's who run their own task forces for selfish interests,remain a serious concern ", Mr Bawa said.

According to him, these unauthorised Operations have led to the unlawful confiscation of excavators and other machinery legally deployed by licensed operators.

"Some security personnel,sometimes acting under the influence or protection of powerful political figures ,storm mining sites with demand illegal payments , in some cases violently eject Miners from land they are legally licensed to mine", he added.

He warned that these actions are not only hurting livelihoods but also threatening the formalisation of the small_scale mining sector,which employs thousands and contributes significantly to the local economy.

"The small_scale mining sector has huge socio-economic prospects if properly managed. The employment opportunities, the supply of raw gold for value addition, and the upstream ,mainstream, and downstream linkage benefits, as well as its integration into our local economy, cannot be overemphasised", he stated.