The Great Warrior Of Teberebie, Emelia Amoateng Is Dead

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Emelia Amoateng, the renowned Wacam activist in Teberebie died at dawn of 5th May 2013 at the government hospital in Tarkwa after an asthma attack. The late Emelia Amoateng was a 38-year old mother with two children and a resident of Teberebie, a mining community affected by the operations of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Iduapriem mine.
New PictureEmelia Amoateng has led a relentless struggle against the negative effects of the operations of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem mine including pollution of water bodies, air pollution, low compensation payment, human rights abuses, loss of livelihood etc. She was a courageous and dedicated Wacam activist who benefited from the training programmes of Wacam. Emelia used the knowledge and experience gained from Wacam?s rights education programmes to lead her community in the struggle to hold AGA accountable for the negative effects of the company?s mining operations.
She sometimes traced the sources of pollution of rivers in her community which caused death of fishes. She regularly reported such incidents to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and insisted that the EPA provided explanations to the pollution of their rivers.
She received complaints of the Teberebie people on many issues including cracking of buildings, water problems, air pollution, suspected incidents of discharge of poisonous chemicals in rivers, human rights abuses, unemployment, health impacts of mining among others and raised the community complaints with the company, regulators and Wacam.
When Anthony Baidoo of Teberebie was shot by

the military acting on behalf of AGA in 2006, Emelia immediately informed Wacam and linked up with Journalists for reportage of the incident. The action by Emelia contributed in holding the company responsible for providing medical care to Anthony Baidoo and the payment of a negotiated compensation to him.

Emelia Amoateng led about 34 farmers of Teberebie to demand the payment of adequate compensation to the farmers when the company destroyed the properties of the farmers in the establishment of a rock waste dump in Teberebie. She led demonstrations, organised press conferences and finally led the farmers to institute court action against AngloGold Ashanti in the Tarkwa High Court to demand the negotiation of compensation by AGA to the farmers with the support of CEPIL and Wacam. After about ten years of struggle on the compensation case, the High court in Tarkwa ruled in June 2011 in favour of the farmers asking AGA?Emelia Amoateng leading her community to demonstrate against injustice
Emelia picking dead fishes from river Angonabe to show to regulators as evidence of pollution
to negotiate compensation with the farmers. Currently, negotiations between the affected farmers represented by Wacam and CEPIL and the company are on-going. Emelia serves on the negotiation committee.
Emelia did not serve her community alone. Emelia with the support of Wacam undertook formal education at the age 32 years in order to be effective in her advocacy work. She organised the Teberebie community to solidarise with other mining communities facing similar problems such as Obuasi and worked as one of the coordinators of the Women?s Committee of Wacam. She travelled to many communities in other regions to organise women as a way of strengthening the Women?s Committee of Wacam. She believed strongly in the power of women in the mining communities to lead the struggle in the fight against irresponsible mining in Ghana and she lived that belief. She shared her travelled to other affected communities to share the experience gained in the mining struggle with them. Emelia Amoateng granted interviews to many local and foreign Journalists including CNN on the effects of mining on communities. Researchers and students in Ghana and abroad consulted her on many issues relating to mining, society and environment.
Emelia was popularly known as the Warrior of Teberebie. Her sacrifice and selfless devotion to her community, Wacam and Ghana has been acknowledged locally and internationally.

In 2010, Emelia Amoateng and 3 other mothers namely Sally Gumlickpuk of New Stuyahok, Alaska, Irma Gallardo of Chile , Rosario Piedra of Ecuador were honoured by Oxfam America on mothers? day for the exemplary contribution of these mothers to the improvement of the lives of people in their communities. In December 2011, a CNN international?s African Voices highlighted the work of Emelia Amoateng in a documentary on the work of Wacam. Emelia Amoateng was a member of the Executive Council of Wacam until her death. Even those who disagreed with Emelia?s activist work could not help but admire her courage and passion for the protection of the environment, women?s rights and love for her country.
On 1st of May 2013, Emelia marched at the National May Day parade at the Essipong Stadium, Sekondi carrying the banner of Wacam with an inscription ?We are against irresponsible mining?. Emelia
Emelia Amoateng (left) holding the banner of Wacam at the 2013 National May Day parade at Essipong Stadium in Sekondi/Takoradi on 1st May 2013.
Emelia standing infront of Cardinal Peter Turkson when she shared her mining advocacy experience in a workshop organised by the then National Peace Council
Amoateng, the great warrior of Teberebie and an icon of Wacam has gone the way of all mortals. She died carrying high the resolve of Wacam to fight against irresponsible mining. May her warring soul find eternal rest.
Emelia sharing her advocacy experience with the youth at a workshop organised by Youth for Action Ghana

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