Sudan’s military has reportedly disabled comments on its Facebook pages following mounting public anger over deadly airstrikes on gold-mining settlements near the Egyptian border, as pressure grows on army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to explain his government’s response.
Local Sudanese media reported on Monday that comments were disabled on pages associated with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Defence Ministry after users criticised the army’s handling of the October 10 attacks in the North Valley area of Red Sea state.
Survivors and political groups have accused Egyptian military aircraft of carrying out the bombardment, with some estimating that more than 200 Sudanese miners were killed.
The reported death toll remains unverified. The Emergency Lawyers rights group has documented at least 72 deaths, while other organisations have reported lower preliminary figures.
The restrictions on public comments come amid growing criticism of the Port Sudan authorities, whose close relationship with Cairo has come under scrutiny following repeated allegations of Egyptian military operations against Sudanese miners.
Burhan orders investigation as questions mount
Facing mounting pressure, Burhan announced on Monday the formation of a fact-finding committee comprising representatives of the public prosecution service, judicial authorities and security agencies.
The Sovereignty Council said the committee would investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks and submit a report detailing its findings.
However, no deadline was announced for the investigation.
The decision has also renewed questions about an earlier inquiry promised by Burhan following deadly incidents involving Sudanese miners near the Egyptian border in June.
The findings of that previous investigation have not been publicly released, according to Sudan Tribune.
In its latest statement, the Sovereignty Council said Sudanese and Egyptian leaders had maintained contact since the incident, emphasising the importance of protecting civilians and preserving relations between the two countries.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Sudanese counterpart, Mohieldin Salem, subsequently held talks on Monday, reaffirming mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry.
The Egyptian statement did not publicly address allegations that Egyptian aircraft were responsible for the latest deaths.
Civilian groups demand accountability
The Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) has accused Egyptian military aircraft of conducting the attacks inside Sudanese territory, alleging that more than 200 civilians were killed and demanding an independent international investigation.
The alliance also accused Cairo of repeatedly violating Sudanese sovereignty and targeting civilians in resource-rich border areas.
Separately, the civilian Democratic Civil Forces Coordination alliance, Somoud, condemned the bombardment and held the army-appointed Port Sudan authorities responsible for protecting civilians in territory under their control.
Somoud criticised what it described as the authorities’ previous silence over similar incidents and demanded a transparent investigation, emergency medical assistance for survivors and measures to prevent further attacks.
Sudanese rights organisations have also called for the identification of victims and missing miners, the return of bodies to their families and accountability for those responsible.
Previous border violence fuels anger
The latest controversy follows several deadly confrontations involving Sudanese artisanal miners and Egyptian security forces.
In June, Sudanese miners accused Egyptian aircraft of attacking mining settlements near the border, killing and injuring dozens of workers.
In July, Egyptian forces reportedly detained Sudanese miners accused of entering Egyptian territory without authorisation, with some subsequently deported.
Earlier, in March, at least nine Sudanese miners were reportedly killed during armed clashes involving Egyptian border guards in the Wadi al-Ansari area.
Egypt has previously acknowledged conducting operations against unauthorised mining and cross-border smuggling but has not publicly accepted responsibility for the October 10 airstrikes.
