Gold mine collapse in South Sudan kills 13, injures 6

A partial collapse at a gold mine in South Sudan has killed 13 people and injured six, the state mining company said Wednesday.

The accident happened last Friday at five abandoned shafts in the Umm Fakroun mine in South Kordofan, according to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC).

Since fighting began in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, both sides have relied heavily on the country’s gold industry, alongside foreign support, to fund the war.

“The shafts were abandoned and officially closed, but some miners entered them illegally,” the SMRC said.

Despite the war, Sudan’s gold production reached 70 tonnes in 2025, the highest in five years. However, much of the gold is smuggled across borders into Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt before reaching global markets like the United Arab Emirates. Only 20 tonnes were exported through official channels last year, said Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim.

Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country, is a leading gold producer, but most mining is small-scale and artisanal, like at Umm Fakroun. These mines often lack proper safety measures and use harmful chemicals, causing widespread health problems.

Before the war pushed 25 million Sudanese into severe food insecurity, artisanal gold mining employed over two million people. The ongoing conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 11 million people.