Some rioters arrested as calm returns to Ahafo Hwidiem after clash between soldiers and illegal miners

Calm has returned to Ahafo Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region following violent clashes between illegal miners and soldiers on national duty, according to JoyNews Editor Erastus Asare Donkor.

Erastus Asare Donkor, who has been monitoring the situation, confirmed on the AM Show that the area remains peaceful as of this morning, though some arrests have been made.

“The situation is calm as of this morning over there. From what I’m gathering, there have been some arrests of the rioters. I’m still trying to get more information from the ground, but the situation is calm,” he said.

The calm follows a chaotic confrontation captured in a viral video showing a police reinforcement team rescuing nine Ghana Armed Forces officers from an angry mob believed to be involved in illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.

The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows five of the officers being escorted into a vandalized 4×4 vehicle, surrounded by a crowd of irate youth. Reports indicate that the soldiers were part of a national anti-illegal mining operation in the area.

According to sources, the soldiers had stormed an illegal mining site at Bronikrom near Hwidiem, arrested the site owner, and confiscated two vehicles, mobile phones, and pistols before setting fire to some wooden structures and mining equipment.

The action reportedly angered the miners, leading to a violent confrontation during which the mob vandalised a Toyota Hilux pickup belonging to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) team.

Security has since been reinforced in the community, and investigations are underway to identify and prosecute those involved in the violence.

The incident has reignited national debate about the escalating tensions between security forces and illegal miners, as the government continues its crackdown on galamsey — a menace that has devastated water bodies and farmlands across the country.

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