Sudan mine collapse kills 10 as war drives desperate miners

At least ten people have died and twenty-one others were injured in a gold mine collapse in northern Sudan, officials and survivors reported on Sunday. The disaster occurred at the Awny mining area, situated near the country’s border with Egypt. Rescue teams recovered ten bodies from the site and pulled twenty-one injured workers from the rubble. The search for additional victims continues, as it remains unclear how many miners are still trapped beneath the debris. This tragic incident has immediately drawn renewed attention to the severe risks faced by laborers in one of Sudan’s most critical, yet least regulated, economic sectors.

The accident marks a disturbing continuation of violence in the mining industry, following a massive collapse just days earlier in West Kordofan State. That prior disaster at the al-Zaraa mine near en-Nahud resulted in the deaths of at least eighty-two people, underscoring the systemic nature of the safety failures across the country. Sudan has emerged as one of Africa’s leading gold producers, with the government recording seventy tonnes of production last year. However, the sector operates under chaotic conditions due to the ongoing civil war. Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the formal economy has weakened significantly. Agriculture has been disrupted, businesses have collapsed, and millions have been displaced. In this vacuum, gold mining has become a lifeline for survival and a primary source of national income, driving a surge in activity despite the war.

Analysts point out that the industry is plagued by a lack of oversight and modern safety infrastructure. Joseph Tucker, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, described the situation as a series of deadly hazards inherent to informal, artisanal mining. These operations are typically located in remote areas and lack specialized equipment, adequate infrastructure, or basic regulatory frameworks. The conflict has further complicated the sector’s governance. While the army controls the main deposits in the northeast, including the port of Port Sudan, Rapid Support Forces control other rich areas. Much of the gold is now moved through smuggling networks rather than official government channels. This illicit flow generates significant revenue for armed groups, leading to international scrutiny. In March 2025, Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates of funding the Rapid Support Forces using gold exports, a claim the UAE has firmly denied.

The recent fatalities highlight a broader crisis in how Sudan manages its natural resources during wartime. With production reaching sixty-four tonnes in 2024, a fifty-three percent increase over 2022, the economic stakes are higher than ever. Yet, the human cost continues to mount. The government faces mounting pressure to regulate the sector and ensure worker safety, but its capacity is limited by the ongoing conflict and fragmentation of state authority. As long as the war persists, miners in both government-controlled and rebel-held areas will likely continue working in dangerous, unregulated conditions. The international community is watching closely, as the gold trade remains a central pillar of the economic and military dynamics driving the conflict. Without significant intervention or a return to stability, the risk of further disasters remains high, leaving thousands of workers vulnerable to preventable death.