The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), in partnership with Gold Fields Ghana, successfully conducted a comprehensive emergency simulation exercise on Friday, April 25, 2025, at Wangarakrom, one of the host-communities for Gold Fields Ghana in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. The simulation formed part of broader efforts to promote safety, resilience, and sustainable practices within Ghana’s mining sector through practical training and academia-industry collaboration.
The exercise instituted by the Disaster and Emergency Management Hub (DEM-Hub) of UMaT formed part of annual activities to commemorate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. For 2025, the simulation was designed to mirror real-life scenarios of illegal mining activities in some mining communities in Ghana and assess the preparedness and operational capacity of security and emergency response agencies in managing violent conflicts arising from illegal miners encroaching on licensed concessions.
The exercise simulated a volatile scenario involving the encroachment of illegal miners from a host community onto a Gold Fields Ghana concession that had previously been closed by the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission due to environmental and safety concerns. Following the encroachment, a Security Task Force from the company was deployed to negotiate the peaceful removal of the illegal miners. However, in a display of desperation and resistance, the miners attacked the task force.
The staged conflict resulted in simulated injuries to both miners and security personnel, triggering the immediate activation of emergency protocols. Response teams including; the Police Service, Ambulance Service, Fire Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Armed Forces, Immigration Service, and Prisons Service were mobilized to bring the situation under control, manage casualties and evacuate the injured.
The exercise highlighted the critical importance of coordination, communication, and crisis management in high-risk mining environments. Key focus areas included effective communication and incident reporting, crowd control and de-escalation strategies, inter-agency coordination, public safety assurance, first aid and casualty management, emergency evacuation procedures, and public briefings.
During the public briefing held at the Wangarakrom M. A. Basic School, the Municipal Director for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr Ernest Gyabeng, educated community members on appropriate conduct during violent clashes. He urged citizens to refrain from taking the law into their own hands or engaging in vigilante actions. Mr Gyabeng emphasized the responsibility of citizens to uphold the rule of law and report crimes through appropriate channels. He encouraged the community to support peaceful conflict resolution and report any excessive use of force or human rights violations to the commission or the police.
The Divisional Police Commander for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality and Incident Commander for the simulation exercise, ACP Raymond Kofi Erzuah, also addressed the community. He stressed the importance of dialogue and prioritizing personal safety during periods of tension. ACP Erzuah warned against engaging in or supporting illegal mining (galamsey), noting its severe threats to water bodies, forest reserves, and human lives. He cautioned that assisting or shielding illegal miners during conflicts is a criminal offense that could lead to arrest and prosecution. He therefore urged the youth to cooperate with security forces to restore order.
The drill concluded with a structured debriefing session, providing stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the outcomes, share insights, and identify best practices for continuous improvement. Participating responders were evaluated on their ability to manage complex scenarios, follow standard operating procedures, and ensure the safety of both personnel and civilians during conflict situations.
Observers from UMaT and Gold Fields Ghana, along with other stakeholders, assessed the simulation using established performance benchmarks such as dialogue effectiveness, collaboration, and operational readiness.
Remarking on the exercise, Dr Eric Stemn, Head of the Environmental and Safety Engineering Department and Coordinator for DEM Hub underscored the joint commitment of UMaT and Gold Fields Ghana to foster a proactive safety culture and enhancing disaster response capacity within Ghana’s extractive sector. He emphasized the importance of practical simulations in preparing stakeholders for real-world emergencies. He said, “This exercise not only builds operational readiness but also promotes a culture of safety and shared responsibility among the security forces, mining companies, communities, and educational institutions.”
