Traditional leaders and residents of Kofi Pare, a cocoa-growing community in the Ayensuano District, have warned they may pull their support from the current government if immediate steps are not taken to stop illegal mining activities in the area.
Ignite Mining Limited, a company reportedly operating under a prospecting license, is alleged to have destroyed multiple cocoa and sugarcane plantations since its arrival in the community.
According to residents, the company’s activities have polluted local water sources, including the Ayesu, Surum, and Amanase rivers, which play an essential role in the community’s daily life.
Despite strong opposition from community members, who have designated their area a no-mining zone, the company is said to have continued its operations.
Local sources indicate that armed guards have been deployed to the site, using intimidation and firing warning shots to prevent farmers from protecting their land.
Eric Awuku Offei, the traditional council’s spokesperson, voiced the community’s concerns to the media, explaining that the presence of armed men has left residents feeling unsafe.
He stressed that, without government’s intervention to stop illegal mining, the community might convey its dissatisfaction at the polls.