UN Secretary-General petitioned to join fight against bauxite mining in Atewa forest
The Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL) have appealed to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres to add his voice to the fight against bauxite mining in Atewa forest.
“We hereby use this opportunity to petition the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres to add his voice to the fight against bauxite mining in Ghana’s Atewa’s forest”, the petition read.
The call on the world body was made during a demonstration organised by the group on Tuesday in the Eastern Region.
The group also appealed to the OverLord of the Akyem Abuakwa state, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin, to impress on the government to abort plans of mining in the protected forest reserve.
Several environmental groups including A Rocha Ghana and residents have kicked against government’s plans to mine bauxite in the Atewa reserve.
The Atewa forest can boast of at least 50 species of mammals, over 1,000 species of plants, 230 species of birds and 570 species of butterflies.
Three major rivers take their source from the Atewa forest and provide water to over 5 million people in Ghana.
The residents say any attempt to mine in the forest reserve will affect the millions of people whose lives depend on the water bodies.
About 500 residents from forty-eight (48) communities around the Atewa forest reserve in the Eastern region hit the streets on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, to mount fresh pressure on the government to back down on its plans to mine bauxite.
Clad in red armbands and chanting war songs, the residents wielded placards with various inscriptions to send strong signals to the government to desist from mining bauxite in the reserve.
They want President Akufo Addo who is Co-Chair to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to declare the Atewa forest reserve a national park instead of engaging in mining there.
The country is looking to mine bauxite to uphold what it calls a barter deal with China’s Sinohydro Corp. Limited. Sinohydro delivers $2 billion worth of infrastructure projects across the country, which Ghana would pay back with proceeds from the sale of the refined bauxite.