At least 72 workers were killed in air strikes targeting artisanal gold miners in a disputed area along the Sudan-Egypt border, the human rights group Emergency Lawyers said Sunday.
The strikes hit a remote, rugged region south of the Halayeb Triangle and east of the Nile River on Saturday. The group said the attack was the second of its kind in the border area this year.
The latest strikes come as Egypt grows increasingly concerned about the mass displacement caused by Sudan’s three-and-a-half-year civil war, which has driven thousands of people across the border.
Rights Group Accuses Egyptian Air Force
Emergency Lawyers, a Sudan-based human rights and legal advocacy organization, said the strikes hit mountainous territory that it considers part of Sudan. The group accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack.
The Halayeb Triangle, which both Egypt and Sudan claim, is known for artisanal gold mining and gold trading. The remote border region also serves as a hub for illicit trade and human trafficking.
Emergency Lawyers alleged that the repeated strikes on mineral-rich areas reflected an effort by Egyptian authorities to expand their control over Sudan’s natural resources.
Egypt had not commented on the latest strikes at the time of the report. However, Cairo has previously acknowledged conducting what it described as a “large-scale operation” against illegal gold mining within its territory.
Meanwhile, independent verification of the reported death toll remains difficult because of the area’s remoteness.
Death Toll Could Rise
The Sudan Doctors Network warned that the number of casualties could increase because some victims suffered severe injuries and faced difficulties accessing medical care and other essential services.
A survivor told Agence France-Presse that thousands of people were working at the remote mining site when the strikes hit.
“After the air strike, people scattered,” he said, explaining that some fled towards Al-Ansary gold market while others moved in different directions. As a result, he added, no one knew the exact number of people killed.
Strikes Highlight Sudan’s Gold Economy
The latest attack underscores the importance of gold to Sudan’s conflict economy. The civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed more than 200,000 people and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the report.
Although Egypt backs Sudan’s army chief, Cairo views the conflict along its southern border as a security threat.
The RSF has financed its operations by smuggling thousands of tonnes of gold from Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions. According to the UK-based think tank Chatham House, Egypt receives as much as 60% of Sudan’s unofficial gold exports.
In June, air strikes against mining sites in the same border region preceded a major Egyptian security operation. Authorities subsequently arrested hundreds of people, including foreign nationals, on allegations of illegal gold mining and smuggling.
