Activists sue Ghana government in bid to stop China-backed mine in forest
- Activists want to protect the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, a habitat of rare plants and animals
- Ghana has signed a US$2 billion dollar agreement with China to mine bauxite in region
Environmental activists have sued Ghana’s government to stop a proposed mining project in a protected national forest, which they say endangers their health and well-being, amid growing calls to increase nature reserves to combat climate change.
Seven local advocacy groups and four citizens claim that mining in the forest violates their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment and their right to protect it for future generations, their lawyer said this week.
“The forest is our life,” said Oteng Adjei, head of Concerned Citizens of the Atewa Landscape, one of the groups involved in the case, which went to the High Court on July 1, according to documents seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“Bauxite mining is a one-time payment. (The government) cannot bring back the original forest.”
Ghana’s government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) declined to comment.