Security Updates

On the night of 18 January 2025, a violent incident occurred at the Obuasi gold mining site in Ghana’s Ashanti Region. On 19 January, the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners reported that soldiers had killed nine unarmed people at the AngloGold Ashanti mine, with the army reporting that seven illegal miners had been killed in a firefight. Earlier, Ghana’s armed forces had reported that about 60 illegal miners carrying locally manufactured rifles and other weapons had breached the mine’s security fence at around 11:00 pm (2300 GMT) on Saturday 18 January, adding that they had fired on a military patrol deployed there, which led to a shootout. Ghanian President John Mahama has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and has called for AngloGold to pay for any medical expenses of those injured in the attack. AngloGold Ashanti has confirmed the incident, stating that seven “illegal miners” were killed. A statement released by the company on Sunday went on to say that “a large group of armed, illegal miners attempted to forcibly gain unauthorized access to mine infrastructure. Authorities mobilized to defend against this attack and to ensure the safety and security of employees and those in the immediate surrounds.”