Sudan’s army chief and de facto leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has ordered an investigation into an airstrike on a gold mining site near the Egyptian border that reportedly killed 72 people.
The strike occurred on Saturday in the mountainous Jabal al-Uqaydat area, a mineral-rich region where informal gold mining is widespread.
Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group documenting abuses during the country’s war, reported the death toll and accused Egypt of carrying out the attack. However, the claim has not been independently verified, and Egyptian authorities have not officially commented on the incident. <Cite refs={[“turn131122search0″,”turn131122search5”]}/>
Sudan establishes fact-finding committee
In a statement on Monday, Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council said al-Burhan had established a fact-finding committee comprising prosecutors, judicial officials and security representatives.
The committee has been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the airstrike and submitting a report on its findings.
The council also said Sudanese and Egyptian authorities had maintained contact following the incident to establish what happened.
The announcement came amid growing concern over violence in the border region and the impact on civilians working at informal mining sites.
Egypt’s alleged involvement remains unconfirmed
Emergency Lawyers attributed the attack to Egyptian forces, but independent confirmation of the allegation was not available at the time of reporting.
A witness at the mining site described seeing an aircraft carry out several strikes on Saturday morning, triggering panic among workers.
Amjad Farid, an adviser to al-Burhan on foreign relations, condemned the attack as an “unjustified and unacceptable crime”. In a statement on social media, he argued that alleged border violations should be addressed through other means rather than airstrikes against civilians.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke with his Sudanese counterpart on Monday. During the call, he emphasised the relationship between the two countries and the importance of respecting territorial integrity and border security.
Border tensions and gold mining
The Jabal al-Uqaydat region lies within a rugged, mineral-rich border area associated with longstanding territorial disputes, including the contested Halayeb Triangle, which is claimed by both Sudan and Egypt.
The porous frontier has also been linked to informal gold mining, smuggling and other illicit cross-border activities.
The reported attack is the second such incident in the area this year. In June, airstrikes reportedly killed 23 workers at an informal mining site. At the time, the Egyptian military said it had conducted a large-scale operation against illegal gold mining within Egyptian territory, without explicitly claiming responsibility for the reported deaths.
Sudan’s conflict deepens humanitarian crisis
Sudan has been engulfed in war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. The conflict has caused widespread displacement, severe shortages and extensive civilian suffering.
Gold has become an important economic resource during the conflict, with informal mining and illicit trade contributing to the wider war economy.
The latest investigation is expected to clarify the circumstances of the border airstrike. Until the findings are released, responsibility for the attack and the reported death toll remain subject to verification.
Source: AFP reporting published by Africanews and other international news organisations.
