A partial collapse of a traditional gold mine in the Northeast of Sudan has resulted in the death of 11 miners and injuries to seven others, according to the state mining company.
The tragedy of the collapse of the gold mine of Sudan occurred in the midst of ongoing conflicts in the region.
Since the outbreak of the war between the regular Sudan army and the paramilitary rapid support forces (RSF) in April 2023, both features have largely depended on the funds of the Sudan's gold industry.
Reports from official and non -governmental sources indicate that almost all gold trade is channeled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been widely accused of providing weapons to the RSF.
The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) declared that the collapse occurred in an “handmade axis in the Kirsh al-Fil mine” in the remote area of ​​the Howeid desert. This location is among the cities controlled by the Army of Atbara and Haiya in the state of the Red Sea of ​​Northeast of Sudan. The SMRC did not specify when the collapse occurred.
The ongoing war, now in its third year, has severely interrupted the already fragile economy of Sudan. Despite this, the government backed by the Army has reported a record production of 64 tons in 2024.
Sudan, the third largest country in Africa, is one of the main gold producers on the continent, with a small -scale artisanal mining that represents the majority of gold extraction.
Unlike the largest industrial facilities, these mines lack security measures and use hazardous chemicals that often cause generalized diseases in nearby areas.
SMRC said that he had previously suspended the work in the mine and “warned against his continuous activity due to his great risk to life.”
Before the war, which has pushed 25 million people to severe food insecurity, artisanal mining used more than two million people, according to industry.
Today, according to sources and experts in the mining industry, much of the gold produced by both parties is smuggling to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, before reaching the EAU, the second largest gold exporter in the world.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan, where more than 10 million people are currently displaced in the world's largest displacement crisis.
AFP