An airstrike on a gold mine near the disputed Sudan-Egypt border has reportedly killed dozens of civilian miners, according to a Sudanese rights group. Here’s what’s known so far.
What Happened
The strike hit a gold mining site at Jabal al-Uqaydat, a mountainous area on the Sudan-Egypt border, on Saturday. The location sits near the Halayeb triangle, a stretch of land claimed by both Sudan and Egypt. The Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group, reported that 72 civilian miners were killed, based on preliminary information, and said verification of the toll was still ongoing. The group also reported that 223 people were detained, including 136 foreign nationals.
Who Is Being Blamed
The Emergency Lawyers accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the strike. Egypt has not claimed responsibility. This isn’t the first reported incident at the site — in June, Egyptian strikes reportedly killed 23 workers in the same area, with the Egyptian army describing it at the time as a “large-scale operation” against illegal gold mining within its own territory.
Accounts From the Ground
Miner Abdelaziz Youssef said a jet struck the site around 8am, hitting it five separate times. Another miner, Sharaf Ali, said thousands of people were working at the site when the strike happened, and that people scattered in the chaos afterward, making the full death toll difficult to determine. Both survivors described seeing bodies at the scene, with many people feared still trapped under rubble.
Why This Border Region Is So Volatile
- Sudan’s civil war, between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, began in April 2023 and has killed more than 200,000 people.
- Gold mining has expanded sharply during the war, partly funding both sides’ war efforts, and partly because the humanitarian crisis has pushed many people into the industry out of necessity.
- Egypt is a close ally of Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, but treats the roughly 1,200-kilometre shared border as a security concern in its own right.
- The Emergency Lawyers say the strikes reflect an Egyptian effort to expand control over Sudan’s resources. Egypt maintains that its military operations stay strictly within its own territory.
- The border area has long been a route for gold smuggling, illicit trade, and human trafficking — activity Egypt has tried to curb, including through mass deportations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Egypt confirmed carrying out this strike?
No. Egypt has not claimed the strikes. The accusation comes from the Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group.
Is the death toll confirmed?
The reported figure of 72 is described as preliminary, with the Emergency Lawyers saying verification is still ongoing.
Has this happened before at the same location?
Yes. In June, Egyptian strikes reportedly killed 23 workers at the same site, with Egypt’s military describing the action as targeting illegal gold mining.
Why is this area disputed?
The site sits near the Halayeb triangle, a border region both Sudan and Egypt claim, and has become a flashpoint tied to gold smuggling, illicit trade, and Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
With verification of the toll still underway and no official claim of responsibility from Egypt, the full picture of what happened at Jabal al-Uqaydat is likely to take time to emerge.
