At least 72 Sudanese artisanal miners killed in strike, rights monitor says

At least 72 artisanal miners were killed in an airstrike in northern Sudan on Saturday, according to rights monitor Emergency Lawyers. This marks the second such incident in a short period. Emergency Lawyers attributes the strike to the Egyptian air force, though Reuters has not been able to independently verify this claim. The Egyptian military has not commented on the matter, and Egypt's foreign ministry has not responded to a request for information.

Images shared on social media and by local rights groups, though unverified by Reuters, depict numerous bodies scattered among debris and others in funeral shrouds. Miners recounted the airstrike's occurrence. Emergency Lawyers asserts that such an attack crossing borders would infringe upon international law. Northern Sudan has witnessed a surge in artisanal miners and informal gold mines as the nation's continuous conflict has disrupted alternative sources of income, making gold the primary form of currency for both belligerent parties.

Experts and individuals involved in the sector report that a significant portion of this gold is illicitly transported into Egypt. The Sudanese conflict, involving the army and Rapid Support Forces, has led to an upsurge in mass-casualty occurrences, especially with drone warfare emerging as the predominant method of conflict. On Friday, approximately 31 individuals were killed in a drone strike on a refugee camp in a region controlled by the army, located in Sudan's Blue Nile state, which serves as one of the war's frontlines, as reported by the United Nations.