Deadly gold mine air strikes highlight Egypt-Sudan border insecurity

Deadly air raids on a gold mining site in northern Sudan have killed at least 72 workers, according to a rights group, highlighting lawlessness along the Sudan-Egypt border. The Khartoum-based Emergency Lawyers group accused the Egyptian military of targeting civilian miners in the North Wadi area of Jabal al-Uqaydat, a mountainous border region. This incident follows a similar drone and artillery attack in June, where the Egyptian army stated it conducted an operation "within Egyptian territory." The border region has a history of tensions due to a lack of physical demarcation and the presence of gold wealth, leading to disputes and vulnerability for Sudanese citizens. Experts call for UN intervention and physical border demarcation to address ongoing violations.

A Sudanese rights group, Emergency Lawyers, has accused the Egyptian military of carrying out an air raid that killed at least 72 workers at a gold mine in northern Sudan. The attack reportedly occurred on Saturday near the disputed Sudan-Egypt border. This is the second such incident in the area this year, following a similar strike in June that killed 23 workers, which Egypt stated was part of an operation against illegal gold mining within its borders. The border region is a site of dispute between Sudan and Egypt, with both nations claiming the Halaib Triangle. The reported attack has not been independently verified, and Egypt has not issued an official comment. The ongoing war in Sudan has driven many into the dangerous gold mining industry.

Dozens of gold prospectors were reportedly killed in strikes on an artisanal mining camp near the Egypt-Sudan border on Saturday. Eyewitnesses claim aircraft fired missiles at the camps, destroying them with people inside. This follows earlier reports in June of Egyptian forces allegedly using drones and artillery to target similar mining sites in the region, resulting in fatalities. Egypt's border agency had announced a security campaign along the border to counter illegal activities, including mining. Sudan's de facto leader announced an investigation into the alleged strikes. Gold mining is a significant factor in border tensions, with Sudan's civil war contributing to a surge in artisanal mining in remote border areas.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) conducted a drone strike in the Blue Nile region near the Ethiopian border, killing 41 people, according to rights group Emergency Lawyers. The attack, which occurred on Friday in the Abu Shandi area, targeted a camp for displaced people. Initial reports suggest a significant number of women and children, including eight children, were among the casualties. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed alarm over the reports, noting the area has faced sustained attacks recently, displacing thousands. This incident occurs amidst the ongoing power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which has caused widespread displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis.

A drone attack reportedly linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 30 displaced people, including women and children, in Wad al-Mahi province, Sudan's Blue Nile region. The strike occurred near a displacement camp and an informal gold mining site. The governor of Wad al-Mahi described the attack as "cowardly" and stated the drone was launched from within Ethiopia. This incident is part of a wave of drone strikes targeting the Blue Nile region, with the border area with Ethiopia becoming a frontline in the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF. Sudan has accused Ethiopia of harboring RSF fighters, which Ethiopia denies.