Sudanese rights group says airstrikes killed 72 gold miners near Egyptian border
A Sudanese rights organization said airstrikes on a gold mine in the Sudan-Egypt border area killed at least 72 workers on Saturday. The Emergency Lawyers group blamed Egypt's air force, while Egypt has not commented and AFP could not independently verify the claim. The site, Jabal al-Uqaydat, was also hit earlier this year in an attack that killed 23 miners.
The Emergency Lawyers group blamed Egypt’s air force and identified the site as Jabal al-Uqaydat, a remote unregulated mining area. It said this was the second deadly strike there this year, after a June attack killed 23 workers. Egypt has not commented, and AFP has not been able to verify the claim independently.
The location sits in the disputed Halayeb triangle, claimed by both Sudan and Egypt. Sudan’s war since April 2023 has killed more than 200,000 people and pushed many into gold extraction, which helps fund both warring sides. In June, Egypt’s army said it acted inside its own territory and detained 223 people.
The reported deaths could deepen hardship for mining families and border communities already affected by Sudan’s war. If confirmed, the strike may heighten fear among informal miners, disrupt a livelihood that many rely on, and complicate access to remote sites for rescue or documentation. It may also increase scrutiny of cross-border security and resource control, though the lack of independent verification and official comment leaves the full impact uncertain.