Minister for Defence, Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has promised to conduct thorough investigations in mining communities affected by alleged military brutalities. The promise was made at a meeting with fourteen members of the National Coalition on Mining on Thursday morning at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Burma Camp. The Minister requested a detailed petition from the Coalition so that all alleged abuses by military personnel in mining areas could be properly scrutinized. The alleged assaults include last year’s shooting of one Awudu Muhammed and 20-year-old Ewan Mensah in Dumasi, and the recent harassment and assault of residents at Tebrebe. Al-Hassan Adam, Programmes Officer for Civic Response, and member of the National Coalition on Mining explained that the organization called for the meeting as a result of the growing spate of violence that was being perpetrated against residents in the communities by assigns of the mining companies. The National Coalition on Mining was also expected to meet with the Ministry of Interior to discuss police involvement in the mining concessions and surrounding communities.