The Talensi Youth Parliament has called on mining regulators and local authorities to urgently intervene in a concession dispute involving Nalamtaaba Local Small-Scale Mining Company and Earl International Ghana Group Mining Limited, warning against an escalation of tensions.
The youth body said it was concerned about recent tensions and heated exchanges reportedly involving some young people in affected communities over the dispute.
Addressing a press conference, Speaker of the Talensi Youth Parliament, Clinton Bukari, urged the Minerals Commission and other relevant authorities to establish the status, boundaries and authorisation of the concessions at the centre of the disagreement.
“We need facts, transparency and lawful processes, not speculation and confrontation,” he said.
Mr Bukari said disagreements over land, natural resources, livelihoods and economic opportunities could generate legitimate concerns, but warned that violence would not resolve the dispute.
“Talensi has a shared history, a common identity and a collective future. No mining concession, business interest or disagreement should be allowed to destroy the bonds of brotherhood that unite our people,” he said.
The Parliament urged young people in the affected communities to remain calm, reject violence, resist provocation and avoid circulating rumours and unverified information, particularly on social media.
“We remind the youth that we can demand justice without violence, defend our interests without hatred and disagree without destroying one another,” Mr Bukari said.
The group also called on chiefs, Tindaamas, elders and other traditional authorities to intervene to prevent further escalation and facilitate dialogue between the parties.
It urged the Talensi District Assembly and other government authorities to engage the affected communities, establish the facts surrounding the disputed concessions and provide clear information to residents.
The Environmental Protection Authority and other regulators were also asked to examine environmental and community concerns associated with mining activities, including their potential effects on land, water and agriculture.
The Parliament called on the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to protect lives and property while remaining impartial in dealing with the dispute.
“The matter requires more than statements of concern. It requires action,” Mr Bukari said. “We need dialogue, not confrontation; investigation, not speculation; justice, not retaliation; leadership, not silence; peace, not violence.”
He stressed that the Parliament was not taking a position on which party was entitled to the disputed concession.
“Our concern is broader and fundamental: the protection of human life, preservation of peace, respect for the rule of law, protection of livelihoods, justice and the sustainable development of the Talensi Traditional Area,” he said.
The Youth Parliament said it was prepared to support dialogue between the parties and urged authorities to act before tensions worsen.
“The time to prevent escalation is now,” Mr Bukari said.
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