Calm return to ‘No Way Camp’

-After bloody clash   

The Liberia National Police have restored calm to Central Glaakon Statutory District #2 in Grand Bassa County where there have been reports of violent clashes at a gold mine.

Violent recently broke up at the gold mine ‘No Way Camp’ in Marloi Township, Central Glaakon Statutory District No. 2, Grand Bassa County, resulting to several casualties.

Over 20 miners were reportedly feared dead, while several others sustained multiple injuries and were rushed to a distant health center outside the township for medication.

The NewDawn visited the site and spoke with some of the residents, who recounted the horror but said it was the timely intervention of the police that brought the situation under control.

Narrating their ordeal, one resident said the violence broke out when over 200 mining job seekers were asked by managers of the ‘No Way Camp’ to pay an amount of L$500 each as a fee to obtain jobs.

Nathaniel Wlemo Gaysuah, spokesman for the elders said hell broke loose when the managers received the fees and deliberately failed to offer the jobs.

The residents said the aggrieved men went on the rampage and reportedly attacked the managers’ homes, demanding refund of their money since they could not get jobs.

According to them, during the riot, security guards at the mining site opened fire, using single barrel guns, but did not say whether there were casualties or deaths.

They further disclosed that crowd demolished the managers’ houses and looted their belongings, including a 25kg bag full with gold and another containing 75 grams of gold.

This prompted the police intervention to restore calm at the mine. The police, presence they say have brought with it some level of calm.

Traditional people in the vicinity welcomed the closure of the camp and ban imposed on all mining activities to prevent further disaster, pending response from the government to re-open the mine.

This paper was unable to speak to county authorities on the incident but, the Grand Bassa County Information Officer, Eddie Williams, confirmed the incident that happened at the ‘No Way Camp’ to the Daily Observer Newspaper. Williams told the Observer that Police officers from Buchanan had gone to the mine to restore calm and establish the cause of the violence.