Daryl Bosu
A Rocha Ghana has called for investigations into alleged human rights abuses in Ghana’s mining communities, demanding action against those responsible for intimidation, destruction of farmlands and pollution of water sources, as well as compensation for affected farmers.
The organisation said residents in mining-affected communities were losing access to land, water and livelihoods, while some people who challenged mining activities were allegedly facing threats and intimidation.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra on Friday(October 16), Deputy National Coordinator of A Rocha Ghana Daryl Bosu, said farmers were being pushed off their lands, access routes to farms were being destroyed,and water sources were being polluted by illegal and unregulated mining activities.
Mr Bosu argued that Ghana’s gold wealth and the economic benefits of mining should not come at the expense of community livelihoods, environmental protection and the freedom of residents to raise concerns.
He said the situation reflected longstanding challenges in the mining sector, citing a 2008 nationwide investigation by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
According to Mr Bosu, the CHRAJ investigation documented reports of human rights abuses involving mining company officials and their security contractors. The commission also observed that the causes of the reported violations appeared to be systemic.
A Rocha Ghana called on the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority to investigate illegal mining activities in affected communities and enforce licensing, environmental permitting and land reclamation requirements.
The organisation also urged the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to investigate and prosecute those responsible for threats and intimidation against residents and land and environmental defenders.
It further called on the government to adequately resource CHRAJ and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to investigate reported violations, strengthen accountability and improve access to justice for affected communities.
On remediation, A Rocha Ghana demanded the reclamation of abandoned mining pits, the restoration of access routes to farms and communities, and fair and prompt compensation for farmers whose lands have been destroyed or whose water sources have been polluted.
The organisation also called on district assemblies and district chief executives in mining-affected areas to account for their role in facilitating so-called “cooperative mining” arrangements. It urged authorities to halt any coercive entry into community lands pending independent investigations.
A Rocha Ghana further urged mining companies, both large-scale and small-scale, to conduct human rights due diligence, respect community rights and avoid activities that displace residents, pollute water sources or expose people to intimidation.
It stressed that free, prior and informed consent should be a precondition for mining-related activities affecting community lands.
The organisation cited cases in communities including Kuano, Dome, Abobri and Akyensa in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region, where it said mining operators had attempted to enter community lands under a reported cooperative mining arrangement without the consent of affected residents.
It also highlighted alleged destruction of farm access routes in Kuntokrom, near Dunkwa-on-Offin; illegal mining affecting the Densu River at Kenyasi No. 2; and mining wastewater reportedly discharged into cocoa farms at Nsuaem No. 1.
In a separate case, the organisation said it had submitted a formal criminal complaint to the District Police Commander in Konongo on September 29, 2026, requesting an investigation into an incident at Patriensa in the Ashanti Region. The complaint followed the circulation of a video showing a 61-year-old cocoa farmer being chased from her farm by a man wielding a cutlass.
A Rocha Ghana said its investigations indicated that a group of people had entered the land and begun mining without the farm owner’s knowledge or consent, resulting in the clearing and destruction of portions of the cocoa farm.
The organisation said it was documenting cases of alleged human rights violations through its Building Resilient and Active Communities in Extractive Landscapes in Ghana (BRACE) Project to support accountability and advocate for the protection of community rights.
It maintained that Ghana’s position as Africa’s leading gold producer should be accompanied by effective measures to protect mining communities from environmental destruction, displacement and alleged abuses.
A Rocha Ghana called for coordinated action by government agencies, law enforcement bodies and mining companies to ensure that mining activities comply with the law and respect the rights, safety and livelihoods of affected communities.
