Sudan: At least 72 dead in airstrike on gold mine on border with Egypt
Quick Look
- At least 72 workers were killed in an airstrike on a gold mine on the Sudanese-Egyptian border, according to Sudanese activists.
- Egypt has not yet issued a statement.
- Two survivors reported being repeatedly shot at by a fighter jet and fleeing further attacks.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The border between Sudan and Egypt is controversial, particularly because of the resource-rich Halaib Triangle. There was a similar attack on an unlicensed gold mine in Jabal al-Uqaydat in June, killing 23 workers. Egypt said at the time that it was a major operation against illegal gold mining on its territory.
At least 72 workers were killed in an airstrike on a gold mine on the border between Sudan and Egypt, according to human rights activists. The Sudanese organization Emergency Lawyers said the Egyptian air force carried out an attack on the mine on Saturday. The information could not initially be independently verified. Egypt did not immediately comment.
Two survivors described their escape from the mine to the AFP news agency. Worker Abdelasis Yussef said a fighter jet fired five times at the mine around 8 p.m. Saturday evening. "Many people were killed," said Yussef. “Fearing another attack, we ran up the mountain.”
Survivor Sharaf Ali said thousands of people were working at the remote site at the time of the attack. “After the air raid, people scattered,” reported Ali. Some went to the Al-Ansary gold market, others in the opposite direction. "That's why no one knows exactly how many were killed," Ali said. Both survivors said they saw bodies as they fled. According to information, many more deaths are believed to be under the rubble of the mine.
In June there was an attack on an unlicensed gold mine in the Jabal al-Uqaydat region on the border with Egypt. 23 workers were killed. The attack was also attributed to Egypt. At the time, the Egyptian army announced that it had carried out a “major operation” against illegal gold mining on Egyptian territory. She didn't talk about an attack on a mine.
The border between Sudan and Egypt is disputed; both countries claim the resource-rich Halaib Triangle for themselves. Egypt is also an important ally of the Sudanese army of military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which has been fighting the RSF militia of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo for more than three years. More than 200,000 people have already been killed in the war in Africa's third largest country.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
International human rights organizations will call for an independent investigation into the incident.
Likely · Within weeks
Egypt will have to issue a statement on the incident under pressure.
Likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Was the attack actually carried out by the Egyptian Air Force?
- Exactly how many people were working in the mine at the time of the attack?
- Is there independent confirmation of the number of victims by international organizations?
- How will the Sudanese government respond to the incident?
