Bombing gold mines in Sudan: accusations against the Egyptian army on social media platforms and demands for investigation

News of the killing and injury of two Sudanese miners in air strikes near the Egyptian border sparked reactions on social media, ranging from condemning the attack and demanding an investigation and holding those responsible accountable, to defending measures to protect Egyptian borders and wealth.

While survivors, organizations, and political parties accused the Egyptian army of carrying out the bombing, accounts varied regarding its location and the death toll, and it was not possible to independently verify these accusations, while the available reports did not include an official Egyptian or Sudanese comment on the incident.

The circulation of pictures and clips said to show victims and damage at mining sites raised questions about the safety of gold prospecting workers, the fate of the injured and missing, and the limits of responsibility for protecting them in the border region.

Local sources reported that dozens of traditional miners were killed and injured following raids targeting private mining sites in the North Valley region, near the Sudanese-Egyptian border, on Saturday.

Miners said that the bombing targeted the “Al-Aqeidat” mine near the “Al-Ansari” market, and they accused the Egyptian forces of carrying it out because the exploration activities were close to border areas. The veracity of these accusations could not be independently verified.

In a report published on October 10, the Sudan Tribune website quoted one of the editors as saying that planes carried out at least five strikes, and that at least 20 injured people were taken to the market to receive first aid.

In a subsequent report published on October 11, the site quoted three survivors that a bombing that occurred on Saturday, October 10, killed at least 200 people and injured hundreds more.

The survivors said, according to the site, that the planes fired more than five missiles at the gatherings of miners, destroying homes and hitting mining wells that collapsed on workers inside, and caused the displacement of more than 15,000 people. These are a tally and account attributed to survivors, and are not independently confirmed numbers.

The reports also differed in the administrative definition of the site. The first Sudan Tribune report referred to the Nile River State, while the subsequent report attributed the region to the Red Sea State.

As for the circulating pictures and clips, which their publishers said document the effects of the bombing, the available reports have not been proven by independent verification of their authenticity.

On the

According to the organization's account, about 200 people were killed and 120 others were injured, and about ten thousand were displaced to the Adroub area, while 13 miners were taken into Egyptian territory and their fate remains unknown. It was not possible to independently verify these numbers or the allegation of arrest.

The organization condemned what it described as a violation of Sudanese sovereignty, and called on the authorities led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to take action. It also appealed to the Security Council to take steps to stop targeting miners.

In the same context, a user named Ammar described what happened as a “horrific massacre,” echoing the numbers and accusations related to murder, injury, and arrest.

An account called “Sudan Without Kizan” focused on the dimensions of sovereignty and accountability, considering that the bombing occurred inside Sudanese territory, and that the justifications for combating infiltration or unauthorized exploration do not justify the use of air force against civilians.

The account called for an independent investigation that collects the names of the victims, location coordinates, and photos of munitions remnants, and for diplomatic and human rights action and demands for compensation. He also directed sharp criticism at the Sudanese authorities, accusing them of inability and unwillingness to act. He praised the positions of the Tasas coalition and the Republican Party and wrote writings condemning the attack.

The interaction extended to political parties. The Sudanese Founding Alliance, led by the Rapid Support Forces, condemned the attack and held the Egyptian government responsible.

Al-Basha Tabeek, a member of the coalition’s leadership body and Minister of Oil and Energy in the “Transitional Peace Government,” also accused the Egyptian army of carrying out the bombing.

Tabik called for an independent investigation that includes the implementing party and any parties that planned or facilitated the attack, including the possibility of coordination with the Sudanese army leadership. He held the Sudanese authorities responsible for protecting citizens, and called on the United Nations and the African Union to take action, reveal the true toll and provide treatment and compensation.

On the other hand, other accounts defended the Egyptian measures, based on the narrative that the miners crossed the borders to explore without a license.

Fatima Saad Al-Hassani wrote that Sudanese miners had previously been arrested and, according to her, admitted to prospecting inside Egypt, and then they were returned to Sudan. She claimed that they tried to cross the border again, and that the Egyptian army responded with bombing.

Al-Hassani accused the miners of being linked to smuggling and weapons networks, and refused to accuse Egypt of coveting Sudan’s resources or seeking to expand it, considering the southern border to be a greater source of danger to Egypt than its eastern border with Israel.

As for a user named Ahmed, he said that the mines belong to the Egyptian state, which grants companies exploration rights. He claimed that repeated warnings were directed to the miners without response, and that Egyptian officers were killed.

Mina focused on what he considered the right of the Egyptian state to protect its resources, saying: “Protecting borders and national wealth is a responsibility that cannot be tolerated,” stressing the role of the army in preserving sovereignty.

Another user said that the targeted area was Egyptian and that warnings preceded the bombing, noting that excavation there requires a permit even for Egyptian citizens.

From another angle, Egyptian journalist and writer Khaled Mahmoud reported circulating reports about throwing warning leaflets near mining sites on the border, demanding prospectors to leave unauthorized areas and surrender themselves and their equipment, in the context of tightening measures to combat unauthorized prospecting and infiltration.

As for Nour al-Din al-Zawi, he shared two different tolls, one of which he attributed to the “Sudan Doctors Network,” which included 13 dead and 28 wounded, and the other to the “Emergency Lawyers” group, which included 72 dead. He attributed the disparity to the difficulty of accessing the area.

Nina wondered whether the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement regarding targeting the mine, while Muhammad expressed his solidarity with the miners and called for dialogue and mediation, saying: “Bombing is what protects livelihoods, and blood is what builds a homeland.”

This news comes after a similar incident last June. According to the Sudan Tribune, on June 22, the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, ordered an investigation into raids attributed to Egyptian forces that killed miners.