A viral video shows suspected illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) operators laying prone in unclean and muddy water, surrounded by military soldiers armed with firearms.
It has come to light that some Ghana Armed Forces troops attempting to suppress illicit mining operations in the Ashanti area have been abusing and treating galamsey operators inhumanely.
In the footage, several of the galamseyers were shirtless, while others were completely submerged in muck while uniformed troops watched over them.
According to some sources, the galamseyers were working at a mining concession owned by Anglogold Ashanti.
They allegedly slipped into the company’s subterranean pits despite warnings and were supposed to be mining when armed security agents apprehended them on Friday, July 15, 2022.
On Tuesday, July 19, the minority in Parliament highlighted the issues and decried the harsh treatment of the galamseyers.
The treatment was regarded as “inhumane, nasty, regrettable, and very abhorrent” by John Jinapor, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee.
“We have been informed that on July 15th, several suspected illegal miners were caught on the AngloGold field and subjected to torture, harsh treatment, and violations of their human rights, among other things.”
“The minority finds this development extremely sad and upsetting, and we strongly oppose the use of cruel, excessive, and disproportionate force in the ostensibly anti-illegal mining struggle.” This obvious contempt for our laws and constitution under the Akufo-Addo regime is exceedingly deplorable and must be strongly criticized,” he added.
“Even more troubling is the revelation that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led Government remained silent on this tragedy,” Jinapor said. This is merely a horrific trespass inflicted on the despicable Ghanaians…while converting an unsighted oculus into outsiders.
“Foreigners, on the other hand, are always handled with child gloves, and in extreme cases, the instrumentality is violated to favor them effectively the sanction of gathering planetary contacts,” John Jinapor emphasized.
Watch below how the military treated the galamsey operators
