The Ashanti Regional Minister-designate, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has urged Ghanaians to refrain from prematurely labeling those who lost their lives in the violent altercation between the military and local residents as illegal miners.During an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, January 20, 2025, Dr.

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Amoakohene emphasized the need for ongoing investigations to uncover the full facts, establish an accurate timeline, and properly identify the victims before making any definitive statements.Addressing the issue, Dr. Amoakohene acknowledged that the seven individuals who died had breached the security barriers of the AngloGold Ashanti mining site.

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However, he was cautious not to align with the Ghana Armed Forces’ categorization of the victims as illegal miners. “Because the investigation is ongoing, we will not want to be in haste to describe them in any manner that could preempt the investigation that is why we are referring to them as such,” he explained.The clash occurred after a group reportedly attempted to gain unauthorized access to AngloGold Ashanti’s premises.

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The incident resulted in the death of seven individuals and injuries to several others, including military personnel.In a statement, the Ghana Armed Forces described the group as illegal miners, numbering around 60. They reportedly breached the mine’s security fence, gaining entry to the Cote D’or Ramp and advancing into the Deep Decline of the mining site.

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The military, deployed on Operation HALT II, claimed they were fired upon by the group when attempting to prevent their entry into the mining area. According to the statement, the intruders were armed with a range of weapons, including homemade rifles, pump-action shotguns, gas cylinders, axes, knives, industrial bolt cutters, and machetes, leading to a deadly confrontation.

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"The military patrol deployed on Operation HALT II duties at the mentioned location were fired upon by the illegal miners when the soldiers tried to stop them from accessing the Deep Decline. The illegal miners were wielding locally manufactured rifles, pump-action guns, gas cylinders, knives, heavy-duty industrial bolt cutters, axes, and machetes," part of the statement added.

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