A gold mine collapse in Sudan kills 13 and injures six, highlighting the dangers of illegal mining in a war-torn economy where gold funds conflict and smuggling is rife.
KHARTOUM: A partial collapse at a gold mine in southern Sudan has killed 13 miners and wounded six others.
The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said the accident occurred in five abandoned shafts at the Umm Fakroun mine in South Kordofan state.
“The shafts had been abandoned and shut down, but some miners snuck in and were working illegally,” the state mining company said in a statement.
The incident highlights the perilous conditions in Sudan’s artisanal mining sector, which employs millions.
These informal mines often lack proper safety measures and use hazardous chemicals.
The collapse comes as Sudan’s gold industry plays a central role in funding the ongoing war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Despite the conflict devastating the economy, official gold production hit a five-year high of 70 tonnes in 2025.
However, army-aligned Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim said only 20 tonnes were exported through official channels last year.
Officials lament that much of the gold is smuggled across borders to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt before reaching major hubs like the United Arab Emirates.
Before the war, artisanal mining employed more than two million people in Sudan.
The conflict has since pushed 25 million into acute food insecurity, killed tens of thousands, and displaced around 11 million.
