Rights Group: Egyptian Airstrikes Hit Gold Mining Camp on Contested Sudan-Egypt Border, Killing 72

A humanitarian organization reported on Sunday that at least 72 laborers lost their lives following aerial bombardment of an artisanal gold mining site in a disputed zone along the Sudan-Egypt frontier.

Located south of the isolated Halayeb Triangle and east of the Nile River, the strike marks the second such incident reported this year.

The incident heightens Egyptian anxieties regarding mass displacement driven by the ongoing three-and-a-half-year conflict in Sudan, which has precipitated a significant cross-border refugee flow.

Key Details

The Sudan-based Emergency Lawyers, a legal and human rights advocacy body, stated the assault took place on Saturday in difficult mountainous terrain they identify as Sudanese soil.

The Halayeb Triangle, a territory disputed by both nations, is renowned for its mining industry and gold trade, alongside significant activity involving illicit commodities and human smuggling.

The rights organization blamed the Egyptian Air Force for orchestrating the strikes.

“The recurrent assaults on mineral-rich borderlands demonstrate a strategic intent by Egyptian officials to consolidate and extend dominance over Sudan’s natural wealth,” the group asserted.

Cairo has not yet issued a statement on the latest strikes, though it has previously acknowledged launching a “large-scale operation” targeting unauthorized gold extraction within its own boundaries.

Due to the site’s isolated geography, independent confirmation of the events remains challenging.

Casualty Count Projected to Increase

The Sudan Doctors Network cautioned on Facebook that the death toll is likely to grow, citing critical injuries and obstacles in accessing medical facilities and basic services in the area.

A survivor recounted to the AFP news agency that thousands of individuals were working at the remote location when the strike occurred.

“Following the aerial assault, the crowd dispersed. Some individuals reached the Al-Ansary [gold] market, while others fled in different directions, which is why the precise death toll remains unclear,” the witness stated.

Conflict Economy Behind the Strikes

Sudan’s civil war, fought between the military junta led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has resulted in over 200,000 deaths and ignited a profound humanitarian emergency.

Although Cairo backs Sudan’s army chief, al-Burhan, the border conflict is viewed by Egypt as a direct threat to its national security.

The RSF has financed its campaign by smuggling thousands of tons of gold extracted from Sudan’s Darfur and Kordofan regions. Data from the UK-based think tank Chatham House indicates that up to 60% of unofficial gold exports ultimately reach Egypt.

Sudan’s civil war — the limits of humanitarian aid

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In June, similar airstrikes on mining facilities in the same border region were followed by a major Egyptian security sweep.

Hundreds of individuals, including foreign nationals, were detained and accused of engaging in unauthorized gold mining and smuggling.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

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