A regional rights group has reported that at least 72 civilians prospecting for gold in a border region of Sudan were killed in air strikes. The organization, Emergency Lawyers, stated that this death toll is provisional and could increase. The group condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday, noting that the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians violates international humanitarian law and the right to life, adding that such acts may constitute war crimes.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attack began around 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Saturday. According to these accounts, aircraft fired more than five missiles directly at the miners' camps, destroying both the camps and the excavation pits while people were still inside. The Paris-based Sudan Tribune reported that the actual death toll could far exceed the figure provided by Emergency Lawyers, citing a survivor who indicated that many more people had been injured.
Neither the Egyptian government nor the de facto Sudanese authorities have commented on the incident. Cairo has previously faced accusations of conducting deadly strikes against gold prospectors as part of a crackdown on illicit activity along its southern border. Emergency Lawyers highlighted these previous alleged attacks, stating they represent a violation of Sudan's sovereign territory and demonstrate a lack of government control over the region.
Tensions in the area are driven by the role of gold. Sudan's ongoing civil war has led to a surge in artisanal mining, a risky practice conducted by civilians with rudimentary tools. These gold-rich areas, such as those in River Nile state, are located along porous borders historically associated with smuggling routes. There are concerns that this artisanally mined gold could feed into these channels and potentially provide income for armed insurgent groups, which might undermine the legitimate gold market in Egypt.
In June, Egypt's border agency announced a sweeping security campaign alongside the military to address illegal migration, drug smuggling, and illegal mining. At that time, the agency reported seizing 86 tonnes of gold ore and prospecting equipment. The Sudan Tribune also reported claims from June that Egyptian forces had used drones and artillery to target artisanal mining sites, killing several people, following earlier incidents where border guards burned equipment, torched temporary shelters, and fired live ammunition to disperse workers. Simultaneously, Sudan's de facto leader announced an investigation into those alleged strikes.
File photo of gold prospectors in northern Sudan
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