Air strikes kill dozens of gold miners on Sudan-Egypt border

Dozens of artisanal gold miners have been killed in air strikes along the contested frontier between Sudan and Egypt, according to Sudanese human rights and medical organizations.

The strikes occurred on Saturday in a rugged, mountainous area south of the disputed Halayeb Triangle, located east of the Nile River, reported the Sudan-based legal advocacy group Emergency Lawyers. The organization stated that at least 72 workers died in the bombardment, which it blamed on the Egyptian military. The group alleged that the action was part of an effort by Cairo to seize control over mineral-rich territory belonging to Sudan.

Egypt has not issued a public comment regarding Saturday's strikes. However, Egyptian authorities have previously acknowledged carrying out sweeping operations aimed at curbing unlicensed gold extraction near the border. Verifying the casualties and the circumstances of the incident independently remains challenging due to the region's extreme isolation.

Medical monitors warned that the casualty count is likely to climb. The Sudan Doctors Network noted on social media that many survivors suffered critical wounds, while severe shortages of medical supplies and the lack of nearby healthcare facilities make emergency treatment difficult.

A surviving laborer told AFP that thousands of miners were present when the bombardment began. The witness described widespread panic, explaining that the workforce dispersed in various directions, with some fleeing toward the Al-Ansary gold trading hub, leaving the exact number of fatalities uncertain.

The targeted region within and adjacent to the Halayeb Triangle is contested by both nations and is known as a hub for informal gold mining, smuggling operations, and trafficking. Saturday's bombardment marks the second major strike targeting miners in the vicinity this year. In June, similar aerial attacks were accompanied by an Egyptian security crackdown that resulted in hundreds of arrests involving both domestic and foreign nationals accused of illicit mining.

The incident unfolds against the backdrop of Sudan's ongoing war between the national armed forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. While Egypt maintains diplomatic ties with Sudan's official military leadership, the conflict has generated deep security concerns in Cairo, driven by mass displacement across the shared border and widespread illicit trade.

Gold extraction plays a critical role in the wartime economy. According to Chatham House, roughly 60 percent of Sudan's untracked gold shipments cross into Egypt, providing crucial revenue streams for combatants, including the paramilitary forces that smuggle mineral wealth out of western Sudan. United Nations assessments similarly estimate that about half of all gold extracted in Sudan is trafficked beyond its borders.