11 dead, others injured in Sudan gold mine collapse

Tosin AinaJune 30, 20251 Mins read137 Views

A partial collapse of a traditional gold mine in northeastern Sudan has resulted in the deaths of 11 miners and injuries to seven others, according to the state mining company.

Sudan gold mine collapse tragedy occurred amid ongoing conflict in the region

Since the outbreak of war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, both factions have relied heavily on funding from Sudan’s gold industry.

Reports from official and non-governmental sources indicate that nearly all gold trade is funneled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been widely accused of providing arms to the RSF.

The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) stated that the collapse happened in an “artisanal shaft at the Kirsh al-Fil mine” in the remote desert area of Howeid. This location lies between the army-controlled cities of Atbara and Haiya in Sudan’s northeastern Red Sea state. The SMRC did not specify when the collapse occurred.

The ongoing war, now in its third year, has severely disrupted Sudan’s already fragile economy. Despite this, the army-backed government has reported record gold production of 64 tonnes in 2024.

Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country, is one of the continent’s top gold producers, with artisanal and small-scale mining accounting for the majority of gold extraction.

n contrast to larger industrial facilities, these mines lack safety measures and use hazardous chemicals that often cause widespread diseases in nearby areas.

SMRC said it had previously suspended work in the mine and “warned against its continuing activity due to its posing great risk to life”.

Before the war, which has pushed 25 million people into dire food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to the industry.

Today, according to mining industry sources and experts, much of the gold produced by both sides is smuggled to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, before reaching the UAE, the world’s second-largest gold exporter.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan, where over 10 million people are currently displaced in the world’s largest displacement crisis.

AFP