At least five people were killed and six others wounded after drone strikes hit three artisanal gold-mining sites in Sudan’s South Kordofan state on Tuesday, according to local sources.
The attacks targeted gold-processing facilities in the El Leri area, raising fresh concerns over the safety of thousands of miners who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.
Local sources cited by Sudan Tribune said the first strike hit water mills used for gold processing at the Al-Akhdar mine, where two missiles killed five people and injured two others.
A second strike targeted processing facilities at the nearby Al-Karkar mine, wounding one person.
The bombardment subsequently extended to the western section of the Al-Dambalo mine, where three people were injured when another gold-processing facility was hit.
The identity of those responsible has not been independently established, although the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are suspected of carrying out the attacks.
Sudan’s Mineral Resources Company, the regulatory body operating under the Ministry of Minerals, has previously accused the RSF of targeting gold-mining facilities in South Kordofan.
Repeated attacks threaten mining communities
The latest bombardment follows earlier drone attacks against artisanal mining operations in the state.
On October 16, drones struck the Bajoun gold mine in the Gedeir area, damaging four gold-processing complexes, according to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company.
Initial assessments of that incident reported no casualties, as many workers were absent from the facilities at the time.
Eastern South Kordofan is home to extensive artisanal mining operations, particularly around El Leri, Talodi and neighbouring districts.
Thousands of workers rely on gold extraction and processing to support their families, making repeated attacks on mining infrastructure a growing threat to local livelihoods.
Across Sudan, artisanal gold mining employs more than two million people, with the sector accounting for an estimated 80 percent of the country’s gold production.
The industry has become an increasingly important source of income as the war, which erupted in April 2023, has devastated formal employment and disrupted economic activity.
The latest strikes come amid an escalation in drone warfare across Sudan, with attacks increasingly affecting markets, residential communities, infrastructure and economic facilities.
The United Nations recently warned that aerial attacks by Sudan’s warring parties were inflicting mounting civilian casualties and disrupting essential services.
