Manso Keniago Chief Challenges NAIMOS Shooting Claims After 6 Deaths

• Six people died and several others were injured, including a toddler, during a confrontation involving the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) in Manso Keniago.
• The Chief of Manso Keniago, Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio, challenges NAIMOS to provide evidence for its claim of an attack on its men, which it cited as justification for a "reprisal attack."
• Community residents assert that the shooting by NAIMOS operatives was unprovoked, with victims shot in their homes or while fleeing.
• The Chief has urged the government to demand NAIMOS release drone footage, claiming it would reveal the truth of the incident.
• Calls for an independent investigation have intensified, with the Manso Adubia NDC demanding NAIMOS's withdrawal pending inquiry results.

This incident highlights the significant legal and human rights risks associated with state-backed anti-illegal mining operations in Ghana, potentially leading to civil claims against the state for excessive force and wrongful deaths, and demanding close scrutiny of task force accountability.

The community of Manso Keniago, located in Ghana's Amansie South District, is grappling with profound grief and anger following a violent confrontation involving the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force. This incident has tragically resulted in the deaths of six individuals and left several others injured, including a toddler. Residents, many dressed in traditional mourning attire of black and red, expressed their sorrow as the death toll became known, while the youth displayed open hostility and agitation.

According to the community's account, the shooting by NAIMOS operatives was entirely unprovoked. They assert that military personnel began firing indiscriminately after traditional leaders attempted to prevent them from pursuing an excavator, which had been confiscated by NAIMOS, along a newly paved road. The Chief of Manso Keniago, Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio, has provided harrowing details, stating that some of the victims were fatally shot inside their own homes, while others were killed attempting to flee or simply while present indoors.

Nana Obeng Mensah Ababio, the Chief of Manso Keniago, has issued a direct challenge to NAIMOS, demanding that the Ghana anti-illegal mining task force produce evidence to substantiate its claims of an attack on its personnel, which NAIMOS alleges necessitated a subsequent reprisal attack on the community. The community vehemently disputes the notion that its members mobilized to assault the task force at the excavator's location. Instead, Nana Mensah Ababio maintains that the interaction at that site involved only himself and other chiefs, and that this engagement was recorded.

The Chief has urged the government to compel NAIMOS to release any drone footage it possesses, asserting that these recordings would reveal the full truth of the events. Furthermore, residents reject the authenticity of images circulating that depict a vehicle purportedly riddled with bullets, claiming these are falsely attributed to an attack by the community. They insist that the operatives faced no aggression that would justify the use of lethal force. The deep-seated anger within the community was evident when police intervention was required to prevent agitated youth from confronting District Chief Executive Benjamin Marfo, whom they accuse of failing to provide assistance during the shooting.

In the wake of the Manso Keniago alleged reprisal attack, there has been a significant escalation in calls for a thorough and independent investigation into the Amansie South District shooting incident. Beyond demanding an inquiry, the Manso Adubia branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has specifically called for the immediate withdrawal of NAIMOS operatives from the area, pending the outcome of such an investigation. This incident highlights the significant legal and human rights risks associated with state-backed anti-illegal mining operations in Ghana, potentially leading to civil claims against the state for excessive force and wrongful deaths, and demanding close scrutiny of task force accountability.

The gravity of the situation, marked by civilian casualties and conflicting narratives, underscores the urgent need for transparency and justice. The community's insistence on unprovoked aggression from the task force, contrasted with NAIMOS's alleged justification of a reprisal, necessitates an impartial review to establish the facts and ensure accountability for the six lives lost and the many injured. The Chief's provision of physical evidence, such as rifle pellets, to the police further emphasizes the need for a comprehensive forensic examination and a clear understanding of the chain of events.

This incident highlights the significant legal and human rights risks associated with state-backed anti-illegal mining operations in Ghana, potentially leading to civil claims against the state for excessive force and wrongful deaths, and demanding close scrutiny of task force accountability.

Source: Original reporting via Nana Yaw Gyimah