Some angry residents of Sabronum in the Ahafo Ano South East District of the Ashanti Region on Monday, January 15, 2024, blocked and set a truck ablaze, suspecting it to be transporting an excavator for illegal mining in a forest reserve.
Unknown individuals, reportedly supported by local authorities, transported an excavator to the forest, triggering residents’ alarm over potential illegal mining.
The residents resisted the truck’s departure, blocking it and burning the truck in protest. They have vowed to oppose any illegal mining activities.
During an altercation in Sabronum, one person, Bismarck Ankamaah, faced an alleged attack and sustained severe machete wounds after the thugs accused him of inciting the truck arson when it brought an excavator to a forest reserve.
He has been wounded in the leg, arm, and back and has since been discharged from the hospital.
Narrating his ordeal Ankamaah explained that, “I heard an announcement from the Assembly Member at about 2 am on Monday that some people are bringing in an excavator to engage in mining. I saw an individual making a phone call, and I overheard him say the vehicle had arrived. Later, I saw that the truck came. Some residents had gathered and blocked the road.”
“I was threatened by one of them. I later realized the vehicle was set ablaze, then my wife asked me to get my kids from her mother’s room. While at my wife’s shop, the thugs known as A Thousand Robbers pounced on me. As I struggled with them, they used machetes and sticks to beat me up and inflicted wounds on me.”
Residents fear pollution of the crucial water source for domestic and irrigation needs if illegal mining persists.
They warned of decisive action if the excavator remains in the community.
Despite government efforts, illegal mining remains a challenge in the Ano South East District, creating tension in the area. The situation is currently tense.
