The Civil Society Coalition Against Mining in Forest-Reserved Areas on Wednesday asked government to rescind its decision to open up reserved areas to prospecting mining investors. It should also revoke all leases already granted. They said if government failed to adhere to this call, they were prepared to use every available legal means to make their case because the decision to open up Ghana's forest reserves contravened government's own policy on natural resource conservation.

Briefing the press, George Awudi, Spokesman of the 13-member Coalition, alleged that at present five mining companies were waiting to be granted concession into the reserves. "The decision does not only undermine the significant role forest reserves play in the economic, environmental and social development of the people living in mining communities, but also contradicts government's own policy on natural resource conservation."

Awudi, who is from Friends of the Earth, named the targeted reserves areas to be leased out by government soon as Subri River Reserve, Supuma Shelterbelt, Opon Mansi Forest Reserve, Tano-Suraw and Suraw Extension, and the Cape Three Point Forest Reserve, all in the Western Region.

The others are Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve and the Atiwa Range Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region. The five prospecting mining companies include Chirano Goldmines Limited, Satellite Goldfields Limited, Nevsun/AGC, Birim/AGC and Newmont Ghana Limited.

Awudi said if the reserves were being considered for mining, then Ghanaians were being confronted with serious livelihood and environmental consequences. Awudi said out of the 1.6 million hectares reserved as permanent estates, only 32,000 hectares representing two per cent of the remaining forest reserves is said to be in excellent condition. He said the government's decision to open up the reserves was being "influenced by the demands of the Chamber of Commerce, who represent the interest of the mining industry based on their narrow economic benefits and not on a proper assessment of the environmental and social costs to the nation.

"Proponents for mining in forest reserves are hiding behind what they call production zones within the forest reserves to back-their claim." Awudi expressed the Coalition's concern about "the lukewarm attitude" of successive governments who had allowed so much damage to Ghana's closed forest estates.

The Coalition called on government to demonstrate the political will and commitment for the protection and conservation of the country's estates by strengthening the capacity of the state institutions responsible for the protection and management of the reserves.

The group also called for the enactment of a clear-cut regulatory framework that would prohibit mining in forest reserves.

The Coalition urged the World Bank and International Monetary Fund not to finance or support the Ghana government and the five companies to carry out mining in forest reserves in the country.

Prominent members of the coalition include Third World Network-Africa, the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), the League of Environmental Journalists (LEJ), Friends of the Earth-Ghana (FOE-GH) and Green Earth Organisation.