Dozens of gold prospectors killed in air strikes near Sudan–Egypt border, rights group says
Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers says at least 72 civilians prospecting for gold in Sudan's River Nile state were killed in air strikes on Saturday. Neither Egypt nor Sudan's de facto authorities have commented so far.
At least 72 civilians prospecting for gold in Sudan's River Nile state, near the border with Egypt, were killed in air strikes on Saturday, according to the rights group Emergency Lawyers, which is based in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The group says jets hit artisanal miners, who work with basic tools and without official permission, at a popular gold mining site.
Neither the Egyptian government nor Sudan's de facto authorities have commented so far. Cairo has previously been accused of deadly strikes on gold prospectors as part of a crackdown on illicit activity along its southern border.
The group's assessment
In a statement on Sunday, Emergency Lawyers said the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians violates international humanitarian law and the right to life, and that such acts may constitute war crimes. It said the earlier alleged attacks amounted not only to a violation of Sudanese sovereign territory but also showed the government's lack of control over the region. The organisation stressed that its death toll is provisional and could rise.
The Paris-based Sudan Tribune reported that the real toll could be far higher, citing a survivor who said many more people were injured. Eyewitnesses told the paper the attack began around 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), with aircraft firing more than five missiles directly at the miners' camps and destroying them, along with excavation pits, with people still inside.
Earlier incidents
In June, the Sudan Tribune reported claims that Egyptian forces had used drones and artillery against artisanal mining sites in the same region, killing several people. Days later, Egypt's border agency announced a sweeping security campaign with the military to stop illegal migration, drug smuggling and illegal mining. At the same time, Sudan's de facto leader announced an investigation into the alleged strikes, which were said to have killed dozens.
Gold at the heart of the tensions
Sudan's civil war has driven a surge in artisanal mining, particularly in remote areas near its borders. Gold-rich areas such as those in River Nile state lie along porous borders in terrain historically linked to cross-border smuggling routes. Egypt's border force said in June that it had seized 86 tonnes of gold ore and amateur prospecting equipment. Smuggled gold may also be a source of income for armed groups, which has raised concerns that illicit Sudanese gold could undermine Egypt's legitimate gold market.
