A regional human rights organization based in Khartoum reported that air strikes targeting artisanal gold miners in a border area of Sudan resulted in at least 72 civilian deaths on Saturday. The group, Emergency Lawyers, stated that jets conducted the attack on a popular mining site. Neither Egyptian nor Sudanese de facto authorities have issued public statements regarding the incident as of the report’s publication.
Emergency Lawyers characterized the strikes as violations of international humanitarian law and Sudan’s territorial sovereignty, stating that the targeting of unarmed civilians may constitute war crimes. The organization emphasized that its casualty count remains provisional and could increase. Separately, the Paris-based Sudan Tribune cited reports suggesting the death toll might be substantially higher, with an attack survivor indicating numerous additional injuries. Witnesses described the assault beginning around 06:00 local time, involving multiple missile strikes directed at miners’ camps and excavation sites with personnel present.
The incident follows a pattern of alleged Egyptian military operations in the region. In June, claims emerged of Egyptian forces using drones and artillery against artisanal mining operations in the same border area, which resulted in fatalities. Reports also documented sporadic actions by Egyptian border personnel, including equipment destruction and live fire used to disperse workers. Subsequently, Egypt’s border agency announced a comprehensive security operation along the frontier addressing illegal migration, drug trafficking, and mining activities.
Gold exploitation has become increasingly significant along the porous border. Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict has driven expansion of artisanal mining, a labor-intensive and unregulated activity concentrated in remote border territories historically used for smuggling. Egyptian border forces reported seizing 86 tonnes of gold ore and mining equipment in June. Security officials express concerns that Sudanese artisanal gold may reach illicit smuggling channels and potentially fund armed groups, while simultaneously threatening legitimate Egyptian gold markets.
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