Reports suggest that a group of unidentified illegal miners are planning to enter the Neung South Forest Reserve in the Tarkwa District, Western Region, to carry out mining activities.
Eyewitnesses from nearby communities have reported spotting several excavators and a washing plant positioned approximately 700 metres from the reserve. The miners are said to have set up barricades to prevent Forestry Commission (FC) personnel from accessing the area.
The illegal miners have accused the FC staff of being complicit in the death of one of their own, who was allegedly shot by security personnel from Kapsord Mining Limited.
Before Kapsord Mining’s arrival, the illegal miners were said to have controlled the area, but the company has since established a security post with guards to protect their designated concession.
The security post was reportedly set on fire by unknown individuals following the violent clash between the illegal miners and the concession guards.
Additionally, eyewitnesses claim to have seen heavily armed men, wearing camouflage military uniforms and travelling in a Toyota Pickup, speeding near the barricades, heading towards the reserve.
The escalating tensions have raised concerns about the safety of the forest reserve and the ongoing conflict between the illegal miners and the company’s security forces.