Tension is mounting in Gbane in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region over a protracted mining dispute between Nanlamtaaba Enterprise and Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited, with community leaders warning that the situation could degenerate into bloodshed.
The Alliance for Gbane Development, a registered youth group representing residents of the community, said the area had been tense for more than eight weeks following the enforcement of a High Court order allowing Nanlamtaaba to undertake mining activities with police protection.
According to the group, the situation had created fear and insecurity among residents, particularly following alleged confrontations between armed personnel associated with Nanlamtaaba and members of the community.
Addressing the media on Saturday, September 5, 2026, the Alliance said a recent incident involving three young men nearly triggered violence in the community.
It alleged that the three youths were assaulted by armed security guards of Nanlamtaaba after they were found sitting under a tree near an area the company claimed belonged to it.
The incident, according to the group, generated considerable tension and could have resulted in serious violence but for the intervention of military personnel and elders of the community.
“We are restraining our youth. But restraint has limits. The State must act before it is too late,” the group warned.
The Alliance said it was particularly concerned about the presence of armed men whom it claimed were neither police officers nor personnel of a registered private security company.
It questioned why private armed guards were allegedly providing security for Nanlamtaaba when the High Court order, according to the group, directed the Ghana Police Service to provide protection for the mining operation.
The group further alleged that personnel carrying pump-action firearms had entered underground workings operated by Earl International.
The group claimed one of Nanlamtaaba’s armed guards accidentally shot himself in the foot and had to be carried out of the underground workings by Earl International security personnel.
The Alliance said such incidents demonstrated the potential for the mining dispute to escalate into a broader security crisis if not urgently addressed.
“We cannot continue to live in fear in our own community,” it stated.
Court Order
The Alliance said it respected the authority of the High Court in Bolgatanga, which it claimed had granted Nanlamtaaba an interim order to carry out mining operations and directed the Police Service to provide security.
However, it argued that enforcement of a court order should not compromise peace and stability in the community.
The group also raised concerns about the regulatory status of Nanlamtaaba, alleging that records from the Minerals Commission showed that the company’s 25-acre mining licence had expired on May 14, 2025.
It further alleged that Nanlamtaaba did not currently possess the requisite mining operating permit and environmental permit required to undertake mining activities.
The Alliance stressed that it was not seeking to have the High Court’s decision overturned, but wanted the state to ensure that the order was enforced by professional security personnel and in a manner that protected residents.
Stop-Work Order
The group also raised concerns over a directive from the Chief Inspector of Mines ordering both Earl International and Nanlamtaaba to halt mining operations.
It said a subsequent directive dated September 2, 2026, ordered a two-week cessation of underground mining operations.
While welcoming the intervention on safety grounds, the Alliance questioned the decision to extend the stop-work order to areas it said were far removed from the disputed concession.
It claimed the development had resulted in close to 2,000 workers of Earl International being sent home.
The group argued that the economic consequences of the shutdown could further worsen tensions in the community.
Call for Intervention
The Alliance said it had petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to intervene, insisting that the government must act before the situation deteriorates.
Among its demands are the removal of what it described as untrained armed guards, the deployment of professional state security personnel where necessary, enforcement of directives issued by the Minerals Commission and an investigation into the alleged assault of the three youths.
It also wants investigations into the alleged seizure of property and the underground shooting incident.
The group urged the state to take immediate steps to prevent the mining dispute from becoming an inter-communal conflict.
