At least 72 workers were killed in airstrikes on a gold mine near the Sudan-Egypt border, a Sudanese rights group said on Sunday. Survivors described scenes of chaos at the remote mining site in the mountainous region.
The Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese human rights organisation that documents atrocities committed during the country’s war, accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out Saturday’s attack. AFP could not independently verify the account, and Egypt has issued no official comment.
The attack on Saturday was the second reported strike this year on Jabal al-Uqaydat, an informal gold mining site. In June, airstrikes reportedly carried out by Egypt killed 23 workers at the same location.
The Egyptian army did not claim responsibility for the June strikes but said at the time that it had conducted a “large-scale operation” against illegal gold mining within Egyptian territory.
The border between Sudan and Egypt remains disputed, with both countries claiming the resource-rich Halayeb Triangle. Egypt, however, is a key ally of the Sudanese army, which is fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“According to preliminary information, the attack resulted in the deaths of 72 civilian miners, while efforts to document and verify the casualty toll are ongoing,” the emergency lawyers said.
Two survivors described their escape from the mine to AFP.
Miner Abdelaziz Youssef said a jet appeared overhead at around 8 a.m. on Saturday and carried out five strikes.
“It struck five times, and many people were killed,” he told AFP.
Youssef said he and others fled towards the mountain, fearing further attacks.
“We ran up the mountain terrified of another strike,” he said.
Another survivor, Sharaf Ali, told AFP that thousands of people were working at the remote site when it was hit. The Emergency Lawyers said the attack took place inside Sudanese territory.
The rights group said the repeated attacks on gold- and mineral-rich border areas reflected what it described as an attempt by Egyptian authorities to expand their influence and assert control over Sudan’s natural resources.
In June, the Egyptian army said its operation had taken place “within Egyptian territory”. It reported detaining 223 people, including 136 foreign nationals, as part of a campaign against what it called “illegal gold mining and arms smuggling”.
Egypt considers the conflict in neighbouring Sudan a major security threat. The country’s border with Sudan stretches approximately 1,200 kilometres, from the Red Sea towards Libya.
The porous border region east of the Nile River has long served as a route for gold trading, illicit commerce and human trafficking. Egyptian authorities have sought to curb these activities, including through mass deportations.
The latest reported attack comes amid continuing tensions over border security, control of mineral resources and the conflict in Sudan.
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