Excerpt:
A violent confrontation at a sand mining site in Asiyaw in Ghana’s Eastern Region has left at least five people dead and several others injured, following a deadly ambush during a community-led engagement aimed at curbing illegal sand mining in the area…
The clash occurred during a visit by the boundary chief of the Adonteng Division of the Akuapem Traditional Area, who was accompamied by sub-chiefs and concerned residents. The group had gathered at the site to hold discussions with stakeholders in response to mounting protests by local farmers and community members over environmental degradation caused by unregulated sand mining.
Residents, particularly farmers, have for months voiced frustration over the impact of illegal sand extraction on agricultural lands. Many say the destruction has crippled the cultivation of key crops such as pawpaw, cassava, and maize – staples for both subsistence an commercial farming in the area…
