Illegal miners occupying Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuase Mine who were given up to Monday to vacate the concession are still operating on the company’s mine.
A Movement Committee has been set up by government to ensure the relocation of illegal miners from Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine.
In a statement citied by Citi Business News the Movement Committee said it has “identified some viable mining sites at Suhyenso, Ktotpreso and Akasu for the first phase of the relocation of unlicensed informal miner’s currently working on concession Anglogold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine.”
The statement further stated that “this is to serve as notice to unlicensed miners working at the following sites to prepare and vacate AGA concession before 6:00pm Monday 26th September, 2016.”
According to the statement the Military was to take over the sites effective Tuesday, September 27, 2016.
But Citi Business News has learnt the illegal miners are still occupying the Obuase mine of AngloGold.
Illegal miners invade AA mine
In February this year, hundreds of illegal miners invaded the fenced area of AngloGold Ashanti’s Obausi mine which led to the death of a senior management staff, John Owusu.
The takeover of the Obuasi mine by the galamsey operators Citi Business News gathered is impacting negatively on AngloGold’s operations and its optimized feasibility studies.
AngloGold Ashanti hopes that the commencement of International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes proceedings will expedite the reinstatement of law and order at the mine.
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana had to suspend its underground mining operations at the Obuasi Mine at the end of 2014 after incurring heavy financial losses over several years.
Hundreds of the mining company’s employees were laid off and paid severance packages as mandated by law and in accordance with relevant Collective Agreements and Employment Contracts.
Government dragged to ICSID over invasion
In view of this AngloGold Ashanti Ghana formally asked the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID) to compel the Government of Ghana to use its authority to return peace and stability to the Obuasi Gold Mine, by flashing out all the illegal miners.
The move to seek the urgent order from the ICSID is following an invasion of the Obuasi Mine by the illegal miners which is currently still lingering on.
The process, known formally as a Request for Provisional Measures, Citi Business News understands is available to applicants seeking urgent relief in an ongoing dispute.
In this regard AngloGold Ashanti Ghana hopes the intervention will help bring an end to the unchecked ransacking of the mine’s orebody and vandalism of critical mine infrastructure.
A ruling would be expected soon after the Tribunal is constituted, which is anticipated later this year.
Even though AngloGold Ashanti Ghana continues to engage with government at a local and national level, these engagements Citi Business News understands have failed to yield meaningful results which could lead to intervention by the Ghanaian authorities.
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By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
