Egyptian air strike kills dozens of Sudanese artisanal gold miners, including teen Altayeb Alhadi

On October 10, an air strike attributed to the Egyptian military struck a gold-mining camp in Sudan’s Red Sea region, killing at least 72 artisanal miners, including 14-year-old Altayeb Alhadi, who had left his orphaned family in White Nile state to earn money for his siblings. Witnesses recounted the sudden bombardment, the loss of Altayeb’s limbs and severe abdominal injury, and his death hours later despite attempts to move him to safety.

The miners, working with basic tools, earned irregular sums of about $100 on good days, a precarious livelihood in a country whose economy has collapsed since the 2023 civil war. Egyptian officials accuse Sudanese miners of crossing the border and engaging in smuggling, allegations the Sudanese side has not responded to. Repeated attacks on border mining sites have raised concerns over civilian protection, while a fact-finding committee ordered by Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is investigating the incident.