In the mountains of Dalgo Mahas in northern Sudan, unregulated miners armed with metal detectors search tirelessly for gold, hoping to earn enough to support their families amid deepening economic hardship.
Gold rush survival: Sudanese miners turn to trade amid war
A front-loader deposits dirt and crushed rock into a processing machine used to separate gold-bearing material at an artisanal mining site in Dalago Mahas.
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Many miners say soaring fuel prices, electricity cuts and the collapse of agriculture forced them into the dangerous industry. “Agriculture no longer covered expenses, so I turned to mining,” said miner Atta al-Khazin, who left farming after struggling with rising costs.
The mine is one of thousands of small-scale operations across Sudan, where gold mining has become closely linked to the country’s devastating conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. According to UN-commissioned experts, large quantities of gold have been smuggled out of the country to finance armed groups controlling mining areas in Darfur and Kordofan.
Despite the risks, many Sudanese say mining remains their only source of income. “When the war broke out, I had no other option,” said miner Zahir Adam.
Sudan produced 70 tons of gold last year, generating nearly $1.8 billion in revenue, according to official figures.