The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners has called on minerals commission, traditional authorities and stakeholders to consider setting-aside concessions for community mining, when granting leases to mining companies.

With the allocation of the concessions, the association said the youth in the mining affected communities could also engage in community mining to sustain their socio-economic livelihoods.

That would greatly stem the recurring violence and agitations in mining communities too.

Reacting to the clash between the military and some suspected illegal miners at the AngloGold Ashanti mine site at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region the association welcomed President John Dramani Mahama's directive for the expeditious investigations into the killings.

The clash which had generated a huge public outcry and condemnation in the civil society community left nine people dead, and some youth injured too.

In an interview with the media at Wenchi in the Bono Region, Mr Abdul Razak Alhasan, the Communication Director of the Association described the President's order as laudable and timely.

Mr Alhasan indicated that though the deceased were not members of the association, the killings were not acceptable, and called on AngloGold Ashanti to facilitate the burial and funeral observance of the deceased.

The mine must also foot the hospital bills of those who were injured, he stated.

Sompaonline.com/K.Peprah