The search for gold is a dangerous and laborious gamble for Sudan’s miners
Summary
Sudanese miners, including children and young people supporting relatives, take dangerous and poorly paid jobs in artisanal gold mines. Fourteen-year-old Altayeb Alhadi died in an air strike attributed to Egypt at a mining site in Sudan’s Red Sea region; the attack killed at least 72 miners.Key Facts
- Altayeb’s father died in a well collapse when Altayeb was six, and his mother died two months later.
- At age 14, Altayeb left his village in White Nile state to find work and support his siblings.
- He first worked in transport and other jobs, then began mining gold near Jabal Al-Aigdat.
- A fellow miner said Altayeb died from his injuries within hours of the October 10 air strike.
- Altayeb worked with about 15 young men and children, using basic tools to remove gold from rocks.
- The group could spend two to three weeks digging and sometimes earned about $100 to share after finding a gram or less of gold.
- Since Sudan’s civil war began in 2023, economic hardship has pushed thousands of people toward artisanal gold mining.
- Egyptian authorities have accused Sudanese miners of crossing the border and linked some to smuggling and trafficking; Sudanese authorities did not respond to the allegations described in the article.
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