Rights Group Says Airstrikes Killed At Least 72 Gold Miners Near Sudan–Egypt Border
At least 72 civilians prospecting for gold were killed when jets hit a mining site in Sudan’s Red Sea state near the Egyptian border, according to the Khartoum‑based group Emergency Lawyers. The strikes on artisanal miners in Shamal al‑Wadi highlight the mounting civilian cost of Sudan’s war in remote economic zones.
Jets fired on an artisanal gold field in eastern Sudan, killing scores of miners at a remote site close to Egypt, a Sudanese rights group reports.
Emergency Lawyers, a Khartoum‑based organisation, said at least 72 civilians prospecting for gold died on Saturday when jets launched more than five missiles at a mining area in Shamal al‑Wadi, in Sudan’s Red Sea state near the Sudan–Egypt border. The group said the attack hit around 06:00 local time and struck camps used by artisanal miners.
Emergency Lawyers did not identify which side carried out the strikes, and there was no immediate claim of responsibility from Sudan’s warring parties. The group has become one of the main civil monitors of abuses since formal institutions were weakened by the conflict.
The people killed were part of Sudan’s informal mining workforce, drawn to goldfields that offer one of the few cash incomes left in an economy damaged by war. Artisanal mining camps are often little more than tents and basic machinery scattered across harsh terrain, with no shelters or warning systems against air attacks.
Families who rely on remittances from relatives in Shamal al‑Wadi now face the loss of breadwinners. Medical facilities in Red Sea state are limited, and moving the wounded over long distances on poor roads can cost lives even after a strike has ended.
The location near the Sudan–Egypt border gives the incident wider importance. The area sits along routes used by traders, migrants and smugglers heading north. Violence there risks spilling over into an already sensitive frontier at a time when Egypt is under its own economic strain.
Gold is also central to Sudan’s wartime economy. Rival factions have fought over mines and export channels, seeing them as vital sources of funding. Airstrikes on miners, whether targeted or indiscriminate, risk fuelling anger among communities that already accuse armed actors of exploiting their resources.
Each attack that kills civilians at markets, displacement camps or worksites deepens grievances and makes local reconciliation harder. People often blame the side they believe launched the strike, feeding support for armed resistance.
This incident underlines how civilians trying to earn a living can become casualties far from front lines. Any concentration of people and machinery is vulnerable when air power is used without strict safeguards.
Key developments to watch include any independent imagery or monitoring that could shed light on which aircraft were in the area, statements from the Sudanese military or rival forces about the incident, and any reaction from Egypt, which has strong interests along the border. International actors pressing for humanitarian protections are likely to focus on high‑risk economic hubs like artisanal mines, where civilians gather in large numbers with little protection.
Sources
- OSINT