A committee to oversee the relocation of illegal and small scale miners from AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi mine concessions has been launched.

The 15-member team will among all things, develop and implement a roadmap for peaceful exit of unlicensed small-scale miners to a designated site surrendered by AngloGold Ashanti.

It will also assist the Minerals Commission to allocate concessions to small-scale mining interests. The committee was inaugurated a few days after a demarcation exercise to release land to unlicensed miners was.

Invasion of the mine by galamsey operators has often caused death from clashes between security personnel of the mine and the intruders.

One such attack led to the death of then Communications Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, John Owusu, in February this year.

AngloGold-Ashanti has sued government at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) over security concerns at Obuasi concession.

To salvage the situation, there were steps put in place to stamp out future occurrences of such incidents.

The Minerals Commission has said it will prevent the Obuasi Mine issue to degenerate into crisis amid lamentation over effects of illegal mining.

Chief Executive, Dr Tony Aubynn, made the commitment in a speech read for him by the Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Richard Afenu.

“In the very past, we have all witnessed the devastation galamsey has caused to some of our water bodies and its effect on the production and supply of water to various communities countrywide. There has also  been casualties and loss of lives arising from conflicts in some areas where unlicensed small-scale mining is taking place.”  

According to Dr Tony Aubynn, government in recent time has made efforts to resolve the AngloGold Ashanti-Illegal Miners impasse by approving partial surrender of 60 per cent AngloGold Ashanti’s concession, registration of of unlicensed miners on AGA concession among others.

That notwithstanding, he admit the issue has reached a crisis level.

“The problem we have in Obuasi currently is a crisis or a near-crisis situation which calls for immediate attention.”

Meanwhile, Adansihene Opagyakotwere Bonsra Afriyie II, is urging government to commit itself to the decisions of the committee.

According to him, government has over the years failed to protect AngloGold Ashanti concessions.

“When there is illegal mining inside a concession and the law does not allow concession owners to have security with guns and we call the police and the military and we cannot get it, then somebody has to accept responsibility.

Where are we? Where’s the government?  This is the government in power. As a traditional ruler, I can say anything. I don’t care. It is government responsibility to make sure police control Obuasi if there’s a problem.”

The Committee is chaired by Engineer Kwaku Frimpong Kumah with three representatives each from the Minerals Commission, Small Scale Miners and AngloGold Ashanti and two representatives from the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and a representative each from the police, Ghana Chamber of Mines and  Adansi Traditional Council.

It has one month to submit its report.