Ghana: Government grants permits for open pit mining in protected forest reserves

Despite increasing local and international concerns over plans by the Ghana government to open up the country’s protected forest reserves for mining, mounting evidence indicate that plans are far advanced for open pit mining activities to commence in the forest reserves. The Government of Ghana has recently granted permits to two transnational mining companies to pull down some of the country’s protected forest to make way for large scale open cast mining activities. The companies are Anglogold Ashanti and Chirano Gold Mines Limited .   Environmentalists have however cautioned that mining operations within the pristine forests reserves will accelerate deforestation and environmental degradation and pollute the fragile freshwater systems and topsoil. Over 10,000-12,000 people will be affected as the forests are widely used by local communities living adjacent to the forest reserves, In fact, they are totally dependent on the forest reserves for their basic needs and livelihood.  

In view of this looming catastrophe which constitutes a violation of the right to food and the right to water of the forest communities, it is very important to pressurise the Ghana Government in support of the communities and farmers demanding environmental justice and secure livelihood. Please send letters to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr John Kufuor, the Minister of Mines, Mrs Cecilia Bannerman, the Minister of Lands and Forestry, Prof. Dominic Fobih, and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Allan Kyeremateng