Violent extremist groups operating in Burkina Faso are reportedly trading guns for gold in the mining communities of the Bawku West and Talensi districts in the Upper East Region. This situation is raising concerns about insecurity and cross-border criminal activities. The illicit trade, which has allegedly been ongoing since last year, is believed to occur in mining areas such as Teshie, Widnaba, Zongoyire, Tilli, and Sapeliga in the Bawku West District, as well as Gbane and Datuku in the Talensi District.
These border communities provide easy access for extremists, who are reportedly using the profits from the gold trade to fund their activities across the sub-region. Meanwhile, miners are said to be using the weapons obtained through these exchanges to protect their illegal mining concessions, establish dominance over rival groups, and settle disputes, thereby fueling violent crimes and exacerbating the conflict in Bawku.
Forum
Northern Ghana CSOs Platform on Natural Resources sounded the alarm during a stakeholders’ capacity-building workshop in Tamale. The forum brought together 50 CSOs, environmental journalists, state actors and community representatives to deepen their understanding and build capacity to advocate sustainable natural resource management and the promotion of human rights. Convened by the TAMA Foundation Universal, with funding from the Ford Foundation, the participants discussed sustainable natural resource governance, environmental impact assessment (EIA), and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Security threat
The Executive Director of SWIDA Ghana, an NGO, Alima Sagito Saeed, delivered a communiqué on behalf of the organization at the conclusion of a recent meeting. She called on the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, and the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA) to investigate and address concerning activities in mining areas.
According to Saeed, these activities involve members of a Burkinabe Community Defence Group who enter Ghana armed with guns and exchange them for gold from local miners and concession holders. She urged the government and security agencies to enhance surveillance in mining communities, crack down on illegal small-scale mining, and bolster cross-border collaboration to prevent extremist groups from exploiting Ghana’s mineral resources.
Sources in the Upper East Region have corroborated these claims. A confidential informant told the Daily Graphic that some weapons seized by security forces during a recent operation were found to carry registration numbers from Burkina Faso, confirming the occurrence of cross-border smuggling. The informant added that security agencies have since increased surveillance in mining communities along the border to address this issue.
When contacted for comment, Paul Danka, the Upper East Regional Security Liaison Officer, stated that he was not yet aware of the situation. He acknowledged that the porous nature of the borders makes it possible for individuals to smuggle weapons into the area.
Natural resources
The Executive Director of TAMA Foundation Universal, Dr Chrys Anab, said northern Ghana was endowed with rich natural resources. He, however, expressed concern over the increasing number of natural resource-related conflicts, warning that “the next generation of conflicts are natural resource conflicts. In fact, they are explosive if we don’t take steps to address them”.
He said that mining licences issued by the Minerals Commission should be published in the national newspapers and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) notice boards. That, Dr Anab said, would make it possible for CSOs and community members to track their activities.
For his part, the Director of anti-Corruption at the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Stephen Azantilow, said that a national action plan on business and human rights was currently being developed by CHRAJ to check how businesses infringed on the rights of workers and the public.
Writer’s email: mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh
Source: Mohammed Fugu
