At least 72 Sudanese gold miners killed in reported airstrike

Emergency Lawyers said at least 72 artisanal miners were killed in air strikes on Saturday at gold-mining sites in Sudan’s River Nile state, in a remote border region near Egypt. The group’s casualty figure and account describe civilians working in makeshift mining operations. [1][2]

The alleged Egyptian responsibility remains unconfirmed. Emergency Lawyers blamed the Egyptian air force, but Reuters said it could not immediately verify that claim; Egyptian authorities and Sudan’s de facto authorities had not commented in the cited reports. [1][2]

Images shared by local rights groups and on social media showed bodies and miners describing an airstrike, but Reuters said it had not verified the images. The available evidence therefore supports reports of a deadly strike without independently establishing its full circumstances. [1]

The strikes were reported south of the disputed Halayeb Triangle, east of the Nile, an area associated with artisanal gold mining and illicit trade. The rights group described the attack as the second of its kind this year, while the reports did not establish who ordered it. [3]

Sudan’s de facto leader announced an investigation into the alleged strikes. The incident comes as Sudan’s war has disrupted livelihoods and driven more people toward artisanal mining, while the cited reports say gold has become a key cash source for both warring parties. [2][1]