Sudan gold mine collapse kills at least 60 miners

In southern Sudan, a gold mine collapse on Tuesday resulted in at least 82 deaths and 50 injuries, with many more people still missing and feared dead beneath the rubble. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which govern the region, informed AFP that "there is an unknown number of people still trapped under the rubble and rescue efforts are being conducted with rudimentary methods."

Since the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023, both sides have been largely funded by the country's gold trade, which is valued at billions of dollars. Many young Sudanese have joined the dangerous gold rush, primarily in unregulated mines such as Al Zaraa in West Kordofan. On Tuesday, the mine's shafts began collapsing with dozens of small-scale miners underground.

By the following morning, 82 bodies had been recovered. One survivor, Khair Al Sayyed Jabara, stated to AFP, "We don't know how many more are still inside," as an all-night rescue operation continued using rudimentary tools. "Everyone's working very hard to retrieve the bodies or any survivors, but it's difficult. We need heavy machinery to clear the rock and soil."

Artisanal and small-scale mining, which accounts for most of Sudan's gold production, takes place in decommissioned mines or unofficial zones like Al Zaraa. Miners operate with their hands and rudimentary tools for meager daily wages, exposing themselves to hazardous chemicals such as cyanide that often lead to widespread illnesses in surrounding areas.

The European Union banned the sale, transfer, and export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan in July due to the exploitative nature of the gold trade. Mine collapses are a common occurrence in Sudan, particularly in the north and east where decommissioned mine shafts are used by young men seeking to earn a day's wage. In the south, the resource-rich Kordofan region has numerous unofficial mines consisting of large, unsecured pits where dozens of men work daily.

Al Amin Suleiman, another miner present at the mine's rim on Tuesday, told AFP, "The shafts here are all close together. If one collapses, it brings down all the ones next to it." "So far, 82 bodies have been pulled out, but there are people still trapped underground since yesterday. I don't think they are alive," he said. Before the war pushed nearly 20 million Sudanese into severe hunger, artisanal mining employed over two million people, according to industry figures.

Sudan is one of Africa's top gold producers, recording a "five-year high" of 70 tonnes of production last year. However, most of the gold is smuggled across Sudan's borders. In July, the EU and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Sudan's gold trade.