72 Gold Miners Killed in Airstrike Near Sudan-Egypt Border

At least 72 civilian gold miners were killed in airstrikes on an informal mining site in northern Sudan near the Egyptian border, according to the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers. [2] The strikes occurred on Saturday in the remote, mountainous Jabal al-Uqaydat area, which lies within Sudanese territory south of the disputed Halaib Triangle. [2] Survivors described an aircraft conducting repeated strikes, with thousands of miners present who then scattered into the mountains; some are feared trapped under rubble. [2] This is the second such deadly airstrike on an informal gold-mining site in the area this year; in June, 23 workers were killed. [2] Emergency Lawyers accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack and warned that repeated strikes on resource-rich border areas raise concerns about Sudan’s sovereignty. [2] The incident takes place amid Sudan’s civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which has expanded informal gold mining as a key income source while complicating regulation and enabling smuggling. [2] Sudan’s Burhan has ordered an inquiry into the reported killings; the full circumstances, final death toll, and responsibility remain unclear, with independent verification difficult due to the remote location. [1]

Airstrike on Northern Mining Site

The reported attack struck the Jabal al-Uqaydat area on Saturday, a remote mountainous zone known for informal gold mining operations. [2] Emergency Lawyers described the preliminary death toll of at least 72 civilian miners as subject to further documentation and verification efforts. [2] Survivors recounted that an aircraft appeared over the site in the morning and carried out repeated strikes, with one miner named Abdelaziz Youssef stating that the aircraft attacked five times and killed people at the location. [2] Another survivor, Sharaf Ali, noted that thousands of people had been working at the mine when the strikes hit, after which the miners scattered in different directions. [2] Some workers were feared trapped beneath rubble, and the remote setting has hindered access for rescue teams. [2] A Sudan-based rights group confirmed that 72 people died in the strikes on the disputed border area. [5] At least 72 Sudanese artisanal miners were killed in the strike, according to a rights monitor. [4]

Context of the Disputed Border Region

The border region lies near the disputed Halaib Triangle, which both Sudan and Egypt claim. [2] The latest attack occurred inside Sudanese territory south of the remote Halayeb triangle, east of the River Nile, according to the Emergency Lawyers group. [5] The Halayeb triangle is known for mining and the gold trade along with other illicit goods and human trafficking. [5] In June, 23 workers were reportedly killed in a similar attack in the same area. [2] At that time the Egyptian military said it had conducted a large-scale operation against illegal gold mining within Egyptian territory, but it did not claim responsibility for the latest strikes. [2] Egypt has yet to comment on the strikes but has previously admitted conducting a large-scale operation against illegal gold mining within its borders. [5]

Airstrikes killed at least 72 gold miners at an informal mining site near Sudan’s border with Egypt. — Source: khaamapress

Gold Mining Expansion Amid Civil War

Informal gold mining has expanded as Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has disrupted livelihoods and weakened economic activity. [2] Gold has become an important source of income and financing amid the conflict, while smuggling and other illicit trade have complicated efforts to regulate mining in remote areas. [2] Sudan’s civil war between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's military junta and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed more than 200,000 people and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. [5] The Rapid Support Forces has funded its operations by smuggling thousands of tons of gold from Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions. [5] According to the UK-based think tank Chatham House, as much as 60% of unofficial gold exports end up in Egypt. [5] The conflict has spurred a cross-border exodus and raised concern in Egypt over large-scale displacement from the three-and-a-half-year conflict in Sudan. [5]

Response from Sudanese Authorities and Rights Groups

Sudan’s Burhan has ordered an inquiry after the reported killing of 72 miners near the Egyptian border. [1] Emergency Lawyers condemned the reported attack and warned against violence targeting civilians in mineral-rich border regions. [2] The rights group accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the strikes and claimed that repeated attacks on the gold- and mineral-rich border regions reflect a desire by Egyptian authorities to expand and assert control over Sudan's natural resources. [5] Sudan Doctors Network warned on Facebook of an expected increase in the number of casualties due to the severity of some injuries and the difficulties in accessing medical care and essential services in the region. [5]

Airstrike kills at least 72 gold miners at informal mining site in northern Sudan. — Source: anadolu

Separate RSF Drone Strike in Blue Nile

A distinct attack occurred on Sunday when an RSF drone strike destroyed Um Darfa Hospital in Blue Nile state and knocked it out of service. [3] The strike injured two medical workers, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. [3]

Unresolved Questions and Access Challenges

The full circumstances of the strike, the final casualty toll and responsibility for the attack remain unclear. [2] Independent verification remains difficult because of the remote location. [5] After the air strike, people scattered, with some reaching the Al-Ansary gold market and others heading in different directions, which is why no one knows exactly how many were killed, one survivor told the AFP news agency. [5] Death tolls are expected to rise because of injury severity and limited access to medical care in the region. [5]

What to watch next: Sudanese authorities have ordered an inquiry into the reported killings while rights groups continue efforts to document casualties and warn of further risks to civilians in the mineral-rich border areas.