Violent extremist groups operating from Burkina Faso are reportedly trading guns for gold in mining communities in Bawku West and Talensi districts in the Upper East Region, raising concerns over insecurity and cross-border criminal activities.
The illicit trade, which has allegedly been going on since last year, is said to be taking place in mining areas like Teshie, Widnaba, Zongoyire, Tilli and Sapeliga in the Bawku West District, and Gbane and Datuku in the Talensi District.
The border communities provide easy passage for extremists, who are allegedly using the proceeds from the gold trade to fund their activities across the sub-region.
Miners, on the other hand, are said to be using the weapons acquired through the exchange to protect their illegal concessions, ward off rival groups and settle disputes, thereby fuelling violent crimes and exacerbating the Bawku conflict.
Forum
Northern Ghana CSOs Platform on Natural Resources sounded the alarm during a stakeholders’ capacity-building workshop in Tamale.
The forum brought together 50 CSOs, environmental journalists, state actors and community representatives to deepen their understanding and build capacity to advocate sustainable natural resource management and the promotion of human rights.
Convened by TAMA Foundation Universal, with funding from the Ford Foundation, the participants discussed sustainable natural resource governance, environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the UN guiding principles on business and human rights (UNGP).
Security threat
The Executive Director of SWIDA Ghana, an NGO, Alima Sagito Saeed, who read a communique on behalf of the group at the end of the meeting, called on the Ministry for the Interior, the Ministry of Defence and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), to investigate and curb the phenomenon taking place in mining areas.
“This phenomenon, from our sources, involves some Burkinabe Community Defence Group members, who run into Ghana with guns where they exchange them for gold from local miners and concessioners,” she said.
She, therefore, called on the government and security agencies to intensify surveillance in mining communities, clamp down on illegal small-scale mining activities, and strengthen cross-border collaboration to prevent extremist groups from exploiting Ghana’s mineral resources.
Sources in the Upper East Region have confirmed the story.
A source told the Daily Graphic that some of the weapons retrieved by security operatives during a recent operation were found to bear Burkina Faso registration numbers, confirming cross-border smuggling.
The source added that security agencies had since intensified surveillance along border mining communities to clamp down on the menace.
When contacted, the Upper East Regional Security Liaison Officer, Paul Danka, said the issue had not yet been brought to his attention.
Given the porous nature of the borders, he said it was possible for people to smuggle weapons to the area.
Natural resources
The Executive Director of TAMA Foundation Universal, Dr Chrys Anab, said northern Ghana was endowed with rich natural resources.
He, however, expressed concern over the increasing number of natural resource-related conflicts, warning that “the next generation of conflicts are natural resource conflicts.
In fact, they are explosive if we don’t take steps to address them”.
He said that mining licences issued by the Minerals Commission should be published in the national newspapers and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) notice boards.
That, Dr Anab said, would make it possible for CSOs and community members to track their activities.
For his part, the Director of anti-Corruption at the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Stephen Azantilow, said that a national action plan on business and human rights was currently being developed by CHRAJ to check how businesses infringed on the rights of workers and the public.
Writer’s email: mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh
Alima Sagito Saeed, Executive Director of SWIDA Ghana, reading the communique on behalf of the CSOs
Source: graphic.com.gh