Travellers near Egypt-Sudan border face rising risk after deadly mine strikes

At least 72 gold miners were killed in air strikes on a mine near the Egypt-Sudan border on Saturday, a Sudanese rights group said on Sunday. The Emergency Lawyers organisation accused Egypt's air force of carrying out the attack, but the account could not be independently confirmed and Egypt has issued no official comment.

Key facts

• At least 72 civilian miners were killed, according to preliminary information from the Emergency Lawyers.
• The strikes hit the informal gold mining site of Jabal al-Uqaydat on Saturday, with a jet reportedly appearing around 8am local time.
• The Emergency Lawyers said the attack took place within Sudanese territory.
• It was the second attack this year on the site; air strikes in June killed 23 workers there.
• Egypt has issued no official comment on Saturday's reported strikes.

What happened at the border?

The Emergency Lawyers, which documents atrocities in Sudan's war, said the attack "resulted in the deaths of 72 civilian miners, according to preliminary information", while efforts to document and verify the toll were continuing.

Two survivors described their escape to AFP. Miner Abdelaziz Youssef said a jet appeared overhead at around 8am (0600 GMT) on Saturday and struck five times, killing many people. Another survivor, Sharaf Ali, said thousands of people were working at the remote site when it was hit, and that survivors scattered in different directions, making an exact death toll hard to establish.

Both survivors said they saw bodies on the ground as they fled, with many more feared trapped under rubble, hours away from any urban centre.

Who is blamed, and what has Egypt said?

The Emergency Lawyers accused the Egyptian air force of carrying out the attack. That account could not be independently confirmed, and Egypt has issued no official comment.

The attack on Saturday was the second this year on Jabal al-Uqaydat, after air strikes, reportedly by Egypt, killed 23 workers at the informal gold mining site in June. The Egyptian army did not claim those strikes but said at the time it had conducted a "large-scale operation" against illegal gold mining within its borders. It said the operation took place "within Egyptian territory", that 223 people were detained, including 136 foreign nationals, and announced a campaign against "illegal gold mining and arms smuggling" in the area.

Why is the border area disputed?

The border between Sudan and Egypt is disputed, with both countries claiming the resource-rich Halayeb triangle. The Emergency Lawyers said Saturday's attack occurred within Sudanese territory and that repeated attacks on gold- and mineral-rich border regions reflect a desire by Egyptian authorities to assert control over Sudan's natural resources.

The rugged, mountainous area stretches for hundreds of kilometres and includes the disputed Halayeb triangle. East of the Nile River, the porous border has for years been a conduit for gold, illicit trade and human trafficking, which Egypt has tried to stem including through mass deportations.

Cairo is a key ally of Sudan's army, which is at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Egypt considers the war at its border — which stretches 1,200 kilometres from the Red Sea to Libya — a major threat to its security. The conflict, since April 2023, has killed more than 200,000 people and pushed many into the dangerous gold mining industry, which fuels both sides' war efforts.

What this means for travellers

The reported strikes took place in a remote, mountainous border region where the frontier between Egypt and Sudan is disputed and where armed conflict and security operations have been reported. Travellers should follow the travel advisories their own governments issue for Egypt and Sudan, and note that the source gives no information about any change to entry rules, visas or border crossings.

No further official statements from Egypt have been announced, and the Emergency Lawyers said efforts to document and verify the casualty toll are ongoing.