Sudanese coalition warns Egypt over gold miners
Forces of the Declaration of Principles calls for international investigation into alleged Egyptian airstrikes on Sudanese territory.
A coalition of Sudanese political and military groups, the Forces of the Declaration of Principles, has warned Egypt against attacking Sudanese gold miners. The group cited a Jebel Al-Uqaidat attack in Northern Wadi where approximately 200 miners reportedly died. Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Nayer, a leader in the coalition, stated that Egypt's announced military campaign beginning Saturday, November 7, targets poor Sudanese workers under the guise of pursuing gangs.
Al-Nayer described the miners as unarmed civilians seeking an honest livelihood and expressed concern that they are being wrongly labeled as criminals. The coalition also noted that previous airstrikes, according to survivor testimonies, had occurred inside Sudanese territory and were carried out by Egyptian aircraft. They are calling for an independent international investigation into these incidents.
The Forces of the Declaration of Principles are concerned that the issue of Sudanese miners could be used by the Egyptian army to increase its presence in Sudan. They highlighted reports of looting of natural resources, particularly gold, through Sudanese-Egyptian cartels since the war began. Al-Nayer stressed that these mining areas are part of Sudanese territory and should not become operational zones for foreign forces.
Why it mattersSudanese citizens working in gold mines are at risk of being targeted by Egyptian military operations.