At least thirteen miners dedicated to artisanal gold extraction have lost their lives and several dozen have been injured after a bombing against several gold mining operations located in the border area between Sudan and Egypt, according to the public complaint of the NGO Sudanese Doctors Network.
"According to the preliminary information obtained by the Network, the initial number of deceased is thirteen dead and more than 28 injured, but it will increase due to the severity of some injuries and the difficulty in obtaining healthcare and essential services," the group explained.
Another organization, Defense of Darfur Victims, claims that the real toll would rise to 200 dead and 120 injured, although these figures have not been independently verified.
The attacks have targeted areas usually frequented by artisanal mining workers and storage areas for the minerals extracted from the wells, points where a large number of people tend to concentrate, which would explain the high number of victims.
Employees in the sector and sources from the area have indicated that the bombing occurred in the so-called Border Triangle or Halaib Triangle, a disputed territory between Sudan and Egypt, where some miners had received warnings to leave the area.
Egypt has maintained effective control of this strip since 1993 and in 2000 the last Sudanese military units withdrew, a context that has fueled suspicions about possible Egyptian involvement in the offensive against the miners.
The Sudanese Doctors Network demands immediate action from the competent authorities to guarantee medical attention to the injured and calls for a thorough and transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances and hold accountable those responsible for what happened.
The organization also demands the adoption of specific measures to safeguard the civilian population, particularly the miners operating in the border areas, in order to prevent such attacks from happening again.