Dozens of gold prospectors killed in strikes on Egypt-Sudan border, rights group says

At least 72 civilians who were prospecting for gold in a border region of Sudan have been killed in air strikes, according to a regional rights group. Emergency Lawyers, based in Sudan's capital Khartoum, reported that jets targeted the artisanal miners at a well-known gold mining site in Sudan's River Nile state on Saturday. Neither Egypt's government nor the de facto Sudanese authorities have commented on the incident.

Emergency Lawyers noted that previous alleged attacks on gold prospectors by Egypt have raised concerns about a lack of control over the region. The rights group stated that the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians violates international humanitarian law and the right to life, and may constitute war crimes. The Sudan Tribune reported that the death toll could be higher than the 72 civilians reported by Emergency Lawyers, citing a survivor who claimed many more people were injured.

Eyewitnesses described the attack which began around 06:00 local time, with aircraft firing more than five missiles directly at the miners' camps, destroying them and excavation pits with people still inside. Egypt had announced a security campaign along its border in June to combat illegal migration, drug smuggling, and illegal mining.

Sudan's de facto leader also announced an investigation into the alleged strikes. Gold mining is at the center of the tensions between the two countries, as artisanal mining has surged due to Sudan's civil war and is conducted by civilians using rudimentary tools. Gold-rich areas along the porous borders have been associated with cross-border smuggling routes, and smuggled gold may be used to fund armed insurgent groups in Sudan, posing a threat to Egypt's legitimate gold market.