Sudan: Golden Graveyard - Local Miners Are Dying in High Numbers

What the report says

AllAfrica, citing an Ayin Network report, says war-driven economic collapse in Sudan has pushed thousands of people into hazardous artisanal gold mining, where deaths and cave-ins are rising. The story follows Moataz Ismail, an 18-year-old from West Kordofan who left school after fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces forced closures and disrupted teaching. Unable to continue his education or rely on farming income, he traveled north to Abu Hamed in River Nile State and now works in a deep shaft using basic tools to break ore for gold.

The report describes traditional mining as a major source of Sudan’s gold output and a livelihood for an estimated millions of workers, but one marked by weak regulation, poor protective gear and dangerous conditions. Miners interviewed said they often work without proper equipment, inhale dust and mercury fumes, and accept the possibility of collapse as part of the job. Experts quoted in the piece said fragile sandy soils, closely spaced shafts and improvised supports increase the risk, especially in parts of Kordofan and Darfur.

The article says the dangers turned deadly in West Kordofan on 13 September 2026, when about six adjacent shafts collapsed in the Al-Zar'a area near Al-Nuhud, killing more than 80 miners. The report underscores how conflict, displacement and the lack of state oversight have made artisanal mining both an economic lifeline and a growing public safety crisis.