The Alliance for Gbane Development, a registered youth group in the Gbane community of the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, has called on the government to urgently intervene in a mining dispute between Nanlamtaaba Enterprise and Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited.

The group said the dispute had created tension and insecurity in the community over the past eight weeks, particularly following the enforcement of a High Court order directing the provision of police protection for Nanlamtaaba Enterprise to undertake mining activities in the area.

Addressing the media in a press statement dated September 5, 2026, the Alliance said it respected the authority of the judiciary but expressed concern about what it described as the implications of enforcing the court order without adequate attention to community safety and regulatory requirements.

The group said Nanlamtaaba’s mining operations were taking place within an area it claimed had been designated by the government for large-scale mining following a Minerals Commission investigation into the nature of gold deposits in Gbane.

According to the Alliance, the government subsequently blocked out the Gbane area for large-scale mining, after which Earl International engaged affected small-scale concession holders, including Nanlamtaaba, through a process facilitated by relevant state institutions.

The group further claimed that in July 2021, Earl International entered into an agreement with affected small-scale concession owners to pay two per cent of its gross production to them twice a year, in addition to goodwill payments.

The Alliance said the agreement remained in force and alleged that Nanlamtaaba’s management had acknowledged receiving substantial payments from Earl International.

Mining licence concerns

The youth group also questioned the legal basis for Nanlamtaaba’s continued mining activities, claiming that records from the Minerals Commission showed that the company’s 25-acre mining licence in Gbane expired on May 14, 2025.

It further alleged that other small-scale mining licences in the area had also expired in November 2025.

The Alliance said it was therefore concerned about the enforcement of a court order permitting Nanlamtaaba to operate while, according to the group, questions remained regarding its mining licence and other regulatory permits.

It cited the need for a valid mining operating permit issued by the Chief Inspector of Mines and an environmental permit from the Environmental Protection Authority.

The group said it was not opposed to individuals or companies seeking legal remedies but insisted that the exercise of legal rights should not compromise public safety.

Allegations of armed confrontations

The Alliance alleged that since the withdrawal of police personnel from the area, armed men who were neither police officers nor personnel of a registered private security company had been providing security for Nanlamtaaba’s operations.

It cited an incident in which armed personnel allegedly entered underground workings belonging to Earl International, resulting in one of Nanlamtaaba’s guards sustaining a gunshot wound to the foot.

The group said the injured man was subsequently carried out of the mine by Earl International’s security personnel.

The Alliance also alleged that three young men from Gbane were recently assaulted by armed security guards allegedly associated with Nanlamtaaba after they were found sitting under a tree near an area claimed by the company.

According to the group, the incident nearly escalated into a wider confrontation before the intervention of the military and community elders.

The Alliance called for an investigation into the alleged assault, the seizure of property and the underground shooting incident.

It also asked the Ghana Police Service to explain why it allegedly accepted a motorbike seized by private actors.

Concerns over stop-work directive

The group said the Chief Inspector of Mines had directed both Earl International and Nanlamtaaba to halt their operations.

It said a subsequent directive issued on September 2, 2026, ordered a two-week cessation of mining activities.

While welcoming the regulatory intervention, the Alliance questioned why the directive had also affected underground operations by Earl International outside the disputed area.

The group said the wider suspension had affected nearly 2,000 workers and urged the authorities to consider limiting the enforcement of the stop-work order to the disputed area.

Four demands

The Alliance appealed to the government to take four key actions.

First, it called for the provision of professional state security to enforce the High Court order and the removal of what it described as untrained armed guards from the area.

Second, it urged the government to enforce directives issued by the Minerals Commission and other regulatory authorities.

Third, it called for investigations and possible prosecution of persons found responsible for the alleged assault of the three Gbane youth, the seizure of property and the underground shooting incident.

Finally, it appealed to the government to take steps to prevent the mining dispute from escalating into an inter-communal conflict.

The group said it had submitted a formal petition to President John Dramani Mahama and was relying on the government to protect lives, property and the rule of law.

The Alliance stressed that it was not seeking to overturn the High Court’s decision but wanted the state to ensure that any enforcement of the ruling was carried out by properly constituted security agencies.

“If Nanlaamtaba is to mine in Gban, let him mine under the security the court ordered — not under the guns of untrained men,” the group said.

The Alliance also expressed solidarity with workers of Earl International who had reportedly been sent home following the suspension of mining operations, as well as traders, women, elderly persons and other residents whose livelihoods it said had been affected by the dispute.

The group appealed to the media to continue reporting on the matter, citing community safety, regulatory compliance, workers’ welfare and the prevention of violence as issues of public interest.

Source: www.kumasimail.com