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

Published 12 October 2026, 10:44 GMT

Last updated 1 minute ago

Reading time: 6 minutes

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 the location of the “strikes” 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.

What happened?

Eyewitnesses and local sources reported to the BBC that more than 60 traditional miners were killed and about 150 others injured, as a result of an air strike targeting gold prospecting sites in the “North Valley” border region between Sudan and Egypt.

Witnesses who were at the site said that warplanes flew over the area twice on Friday, before bombing excavation sites in the Red Mountain, which they said was known as Al-Aqeedat Mountain, near Al-Ansari Market.

According to witnesses, one of the strikes hit a group of 35 miners, all of whom they said were killed at the site, while about 20 others died during attempts to evacuate them. The bombing forced hundreds of survivors to flee towards various desert areas.

One of the miners said that the workers used four-wheel drive vehicles to transport dozens of injured and dead people, noting that the absence of medical care centers in the border area exacerbates the conditions of the wounded, including those with severe injuries.

Prospectors in the region accused Egyptian forces of carrying out the raids, linking this to the proximity of the excavation operations to border points.

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The head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, issued a decision to form a fact-finding committee regarding the exposure of two Sudanese miners to an air strike.

According to a statement by the Sovereignty Council, the committee includes representatives of the Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Justice, and the security services, to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

Al-Burhan stressed that protecting the Sudanese and preserving their dignity is an inherent responsibility of the state, and that it is dealing with the incident seriously in a way that ensures revealing the facts and respecting borders, according to the statement.

Amjad Farid, advisor to the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, described the bombing and assault on Sudanese miners in the border area with Egypt as an unjustified crime.

He said in a post on the He added that the state bears the responsibility of protecting its citizens, despite its exhaustion due to the war.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a phone call took place on Monday between Minister Badr Abdel Ati and his Sudanese counterpart, Mohieddin Salem, in light of accusations leveled by Sudanese human rights activists and gold prospectors against Egypt of launching air strikes that left dozens of prospectors dead and wounded, without immediate comment from Cairo.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s statement, the two ministers stressed “the depth of Egyptian-Sudanese relations and the historical ties that bind the two brotherly peoples of the Nile Valley,” stressing “the relations of mutual respect that bring together the two brotherly countries, including respect for the sovereignty of each country and the unity and integrity of its territories and borders,” without referring to the accusations of bombing.

For its part, the Egyptian army said that its forces and police forces are continuing to implement what it described as “the third phase of the massive campaign” to confront what it called “illegal exploration for gold ore in the Eastern Desert.” In a statement published on the official page of the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman on the “Facebook” platform on Monday, the army indicated that “warning leaflets” had been delivered to what it described as “criminal elements” in order to “impose full sovereignty within the borders of the Egyptian state, and protect its capabilities and wealth.” Nationalism.

In the statement, the Egyptian army did not explicitly address the accusations directed at Cairo of carrying out air strikes in border areas with Sudan, but it stressed “the depth of the ties that bring together the Egyptian and Sudanese nations at the political and popular levels,” noting that “the peaceful coexistence enjoyed by millions of Sudanese on Egyptian lands” constitutes “the best evidence of that,” according to the statement.

The region previously witnessed reports of attacks that killed miners last June. The Egyptian army then announced the implementation of security campaigns within its southern borders to combat smuggling, illegal immigration, and illegal gold prospecting, which, according to its announcement, resulted in the confiscation of equipment and the arrest of violators.

On June 22, the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, announced the government’s intention to investigate the events that took place at mining sites near the Egyptian border, according to what was reported by the Sudan Tribune.

The Sudan Doctors Network and the Emergency Lawyers Group called for the opening of an urgent and independent investigation to uncover the circumstances of the attack and identify those responsible. The "Emergency Lawyers" group said that its initial tally indicated the killing of 72 Sudanese civilian miners, accusing the Egyptian military aircraft of carrying out the attack inside Sudanese territory.

Condemnations and demands for investigation and protection of miners

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 combating infiltration or unauthorized exploration does 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.

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The account's assertions regarding the location of the bombing, its legal description, and its accusations against the authorities remain its positions, and are not proven by posts alone.

The interaction extended to political parties. The Sudanese Founding Alliance, “Taases,” 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. The available material did not provide any evidence to prove his accusation of coordination.

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"Defending the protection of Egyptian borders and wealth"

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. They 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 arms trade 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.

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As for this account, which bears the name 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.

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The Egyptian army had previously announced campaigns on the southern border to combat smuggling, irregular migration, and illegal prospecting, which it said resulted in the confiscation of equipment, the arrest of people, and the deportation of infiltrators. However, these previous announcements do not represent a response to the accusations related to the current incident.

Questions about the victims and the absence of official comment

Aside from exchanging accusations, publications focused on the disparity in the numbers circulating and the right of families to know the fate of their children.

It called for investigating the circumstances of the attack, documenting the losses, and holding those responsible accountable for any violations proven by investigations.

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. The available material did not include the two original statements to verify these ratios.

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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.”

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