Death toll from Sudan artisanal mine collapse rises to 82 workers

A gold mine collapse in southern Sudan claimed at least 82 lives, leaving dozens injured and many feared dead under the sand and rubble, according to a local administrator. Rescue efforts began on Tuesday night and by dawn, 60 bodies had been retrieved, with another 22 discovered on Wednesday. The injured number 50 and others remain trapped.

The RSF, responsible for West Kordofan, has been at odds with the military since 2023. Sudan's gold trade, worth billions, primarily funds both sides of the ongoing war. Nearly all gold extracted by the RSF and the military ends up in the United Arab Emirates, which denies arming the RSF. Many Sudanese, lacking jobs, have joined the perilous gold rush, often in unregulated mines like Al-Zaraa in West Kordofan.

Al-Zaraa, like most artisanal and small-scale mines, employs hazardous chemicals which cause illness. The EU banned the sale of mercury and cyanide to Sudan in July. Mine collapses are frequent in Sudan, especially in the resource-rich south where unofficial mines pose significant risks. The RSF, despite self-proclaimed governance, lacks capabilities for a large-scale rescue in West Kordofan, which is under its control along with Darfur, a region accused of genocide.

The conflict has pushed 20 million Sudanese into severe hunger, but artisanal mining still provides work for over two million. Despite being Africa's third-largest gold producer, Sudan mostly smuggles its gold, with the UAE being the world's second-largest gold exporter. The EU and UK imposed sanctions on Sudan's gold trade, targeting illicit networks and finance linked to weapons procurement and military operations. The UN warns of the resource-driven conflict fueling the war.