Air strikes kill dozens at Sudan-Egypt border gold mines

Fighter aircraft carried out at least five strikes on the Al-Uqaydat gold mine near the Al-Ansari trading market in Sudan’s River Nile state on Saturday, October 10, according to artisanal miner Mirghani Malik.

Malik said that at least 20 injured workers were taken to the market for emergency treatment, while hundreds more fled to nearby mountain ridges without water or supplies.

Sudanese and Egyptian military spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sudanese authorities had not issued an immediate public statement, although workers shared unverified images and footage showing casualties and destroyed mining camps.

The strikes come amid rising tension along the Sudan-Egypt border, where Egyptian border guards have accused Sudanese prospectors of crossing the unmarked boundary to mine near sites operated by Egyptian companies.

In June, Egypt’s military said it had conducted security operations in its southern border region targeting gold prospecting, smuggling and illegal crossings, arresting more than 200 people. Similar strikes in the area that month also caused casualties among Sudanese miners.

Sudan’s artisanal gold sector supports more than two million people and accounts for over 80% of the country’s gold output.

The sector has grown as people seek alternative livelihoods amid the conflict that erupted in April 2023.