UPDATE: The Asanko Gold Mine in a release copied to GhanaWeb has stated that it has not under any circumstances engaged the services of the police or military to prevent farmers from the Kwabenaso community, or any other community from accessing their farms.

Read the full statement attached below.

Farmers of Kwabenaso and its environs in the Amansie South District in the Ashanti Region have declared war on Asanko Mining over police and military brutality.

Over 1000 farmers including residents in four communities – Kwabenaso, Adubiaso, Abiram, Kaniago – embarked on a demonstration to express their grievances, alleging that they are being intimidated and brutalized by police and military personnel working for Asanko mining firm.

The aggrieved farmers expressing their displeasure in an interview with Pure FM’s Osei Kwadwo claimed they have been brutalized on several occasions on their farms by the security personnel.

“The police and military are working for Asanko Mining and they are preventing us from going to our farm lands. Asanko mining is using illegal means to take away our farm lands from us”.

“We are afraid to visit our farms because of the police and the military brutality. We are starving. Our farmlands have been destroyed by Asanko Mining without compensation,” one of the demonstrators stressed on their points.

The farmers have called on government and the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah to come to their aid to address their concerns.

Meanwhile, the Adubiaso Chief Linguist Nana Kwame Mensah said brutality from the police and the military on farmers has become a major challenge affecting farming activities in the communities.

“Per the agreement between traditional leaders and the Asanko mining, they promised to employ youth in the communities to help reduce unemployment rate but they have failed to fulfill their promise. We will not allow Asanko Mining to take us for granted,” Nana Mensah explained.

“We will fight with our blood to save and protect our lands. Brutality from police and the military must stop else we will defend ourselves. They should employ our youth and stop using military and police to chase farmers from their farms”.

Below is the response from Asanko Gold Mine: