October 8, 2021
BY PROBLYN J. ALPHA
Sierra Leone Police and the environment protection agency (EPA) have mounted an operation in the south of the country, targeting illegal gold miners. The operation was concentrated in two chiefdoms Peje and Kabonde in Pujehun District where there is said to be large concentration of illegal mining activities believed to be spearheaded by mostly foreign nationals. The illegal mining of gold is said to be taken place on the bank of the Wanje River using dredges.
The villages of Futa and Kuiva and Belubu that have seen much of the illegal mining activities have been the focus of the joint operations. Police sources say two foreign nationals; a Liberian and a Ghanaian were arrested. Many more were said to have been escaped using boats.
The arrested foreign nationals Jonathan Dickson and Mick Mensah a Ghanaian are been questioned by the police.
The rampant mining taking place along the rivers in the various parts of the country in recent times had attracted criticism from environmentalist, especially with growing reports of serious pollution, with the waters losing their colour and threats to marine life.
Villages living along the bank of those rivers see them as a source of livelihood through fishing and use the rivers also for domestic purposes.
There have been concerns about health-related issues for the communities living along those Costal areas as a result of the polluted rivers.
E.P.A officials have insisted that the joint action was part of their agency’s compliance monitoring mechanisms to effectively manage and protect the environment”. The acting regional manager of E.P.A south, Joseph Gbassay said the very activities of foreign nationals were in contravention of the amended E.P.A Act of 2010.
He accused some local community leaders of being complicit by honouring and approving the nefarious actions of the foreigners and warned of the effect such unregulated mining would cause to the environment.