Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills 10

Ten people have been killed and 21 others injured after a gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan, survivors have told AFP, as rescue efforts continued at the site.

The collapse occurred on Saturday at the Awny mining area near Sudan’s border with Egypt, where shafts gave way and trapped miners underground.

A survivor who was working at the mine told AFP that by Sunday morning, “10 bodies had been recovered and 21 injured miners pulled out”. The miner asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

Another survivor said miners carried out the rescue operation largely on their own, with limited equipment available. “The rescue operation is being carried out by the miners themselves,” the survivor told AFP, adding that more people were feared trapped beneath the rubble.

Search efforts have continued as miners look for colleagues who remain missing.

Gold mining has become a major source of income for many Sudanese citizens, particularly young people working in informal and unregulated sites with basic tools and manual methods. However, the work carries significant risks, including exposure to toxic chemicals and frequent mine collapses.

The latest incident comes days after another deadly mine collapse in southern Kordofan, where at least 82 people were killed and dozens more injured.

Sudan’s gold sector has gained greater attention since fighting broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Both sides have relied heavily on the country’s gold trade, alongside support from foreign allies, to fund their war efforts.

Artisanal and small-scale mining accounts for most of Sudan’s gold production, with much of the activity taking place outside officially regulated areas.

Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country by size, is one of the continent’s leading gold producers. Government figures show the country recorded a five-year production high of 70 tonnes last year.

However, officials and industry sources say a large share of the gold leaves the country through illegal trade routes, including across Chad, South Sudan and Egypt before reaching international markets.

The United Arab Emirates has been identified as a major destination for Sudanese gold, although it has denied allegations that it provides military support to the RSF.

Before the war worsened food insecurity and displaced millions, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, making gold one of Sudan’s most important economic sectors despite the dangers workers faced.