Tension is once again escalating in the mining community of Manso Tontokrom in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, following reports that Asanko Gold Mines intends to deploy military personnel to protect a controversial mining concession.
Residents are resisting what they describe as an attempt to use state force to take control of their ancestral land, sparking memories of a deadly confrontation last year.
On Saturday, July 26, unrest gripped the area after news circulated that the Amansie South District Assembly had granted clearance for Asanko Gold to engage military personnel to remove local miners operating on the disputed site. The community was quick to express its outrage, pointing to a similar operation in 2024 that resulted in the deaths of three residents.
Traditional leaders responded swiftly, holding a press conference to condemn the planned deployment and to demand immediate intervention from national and traditional authorities. Speaking at the event, Nana Kwaku Gyamfi II, the Asantehene’s Nkonwa Soafoamanhene, stood alongside the Abusuapanin of Manso Tontokrom, Opanin Kofi Manu, and addressed the gathering while red-clad and visibly angered youth listened closely.
“The people of Tontokrom are peace-loving, but we are tired of the harassment and brutalities we continue to suffer on our land,” said Nana Gyamfi. “Are we not Ghanaians? Don’t we deserve to work and earn a living on our land?”
He appealed to President John Mahama to immediately restrain the security agencies, and called on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to step in and bring the disputing parties to the negotiation table to prevent further bloodshed.
The traditional leaders and residents accused Asanko Gold Mines of intensifying the conflict by sending in military and private security personnel—locally referred to as “machomen”—to intimidate and forcibly evict local miners. A youth leader who spoke to journalists after the press briefing warned that the community would no longer tolerate violence and killings. He said, “We don’t want to bury another youth before action is taken. If they won’t allow us to mine, they must show us an alternative. Stop sending soldiers to beat and kill us.”
For years, the people of Tontokrom have clashed with Asanko Gold over ownership and control of land they claim to have mined long before the company’s arrival. The tension reached a tragic peak on March 2, 2024, when a confrontation between residents and private security guards reportedly hired by the company turned violent, resulting in three deaths. Eyewitnesses claimed that a resident was fatally shot by the guards, prompting a retaliatory attack by the youth that left two of the guards dead.
In response to the renewed tension, the traditional leadership of Manso Tontokrom has called for the immediate withdrawal of all armed security personnel from the area. They have also proposed the formation of an independent committee to investigate past incidents and determine compensation for victims. Additionally, they are urging government authorities to establish a formal community mining programme for the area to ease friction and create clarity around mining rights.
While the residents insist they are open to peaceful dialogue, they made it clear that any further attempt to impose authority through force will be fiercely resisted. The community maintains that without justice and mutual respect, peace will remain elusive.