President John Dramani Mahama has ordered a probe into the clash between galamseyers and the military protecting AngloGold Ashanti Mines that left at least nine dead.
The government also expressed regret over the loss of life in the January 18 incident.
The president called for those found to have acted unlawfully during the incident to be held accountable.
Also, the government asked Anglo-Gold Ashanti to foot the medical bills of the injured and to expedite the burial arrangements for those who have lost their lives.
The police and military have been directed to restore peace in the vicinity and implement measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
There have been varying reports about the fatalities, which have ranged from seven to nine.
The Ghana Armed Forces said seven had been killed, the presidency noted eight, while a representative of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners said that nine people had been killed and fourteen severely injured in the incident.
The military said about 60 illegal miners brandishing locally manufactured guns and other weapons entered the mine’s security fence around 11:00 pm and fired the military patrol, leading to a shootout. The army insisted that it acted in self-defense.
After the shootout which led to the death of some illegal miners, Anglogold Ashanti’s property were destroyed and their buses were burned.
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana has since said calm has been restored to its site and assured that it was working with authorities to address the situation and prevent future occurrences.
As a result, schools in the mining community have been closed on January 20.
The Obuasi West MP, Kwaku Kwarteng, called for urgent and thorough investigations into the incident.
