SECURITY · EGYPT
Key Facts
- —The country Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation and a close US security partner, shares a long desert border with Sudan, which has been at war since April 2023.
- —Why it matters Sudanese survivors and rights groups blame Egyptian aircraft for deadly strikes on gold miners near the border, testing ties between Cairo and Sudan’s army-led government.
- —Why now Egypt’s army spoke on Monday, 12 October, hours after Sudan’s leader ordered a fact-finding inquiry into the miners’ deaths.
- —What happened The military spokesman said army and police units are carrying out phase 3 of a campaign against illegal gold digging in the Eastern Desert.
- —The numbers Sudanese tolls for the strikes on Saturday, 10 October, range from about 13 to at least 200 dead; none is independently confirmed.
- —What it means for US readers Egypt receives about US$1.3 billion a year in US military aid, so its use of force near Sudan matters in Washington.
- —Still open Egypt has not said whether its aircraft struck the mines, where exactly the strikes hit, or how many people died.
Egypt’s army said on Monday, 12 October, that it is pressing the third phase of a campaign against illegal gold digging. The Egypt gold mining crackdown news came after Sudanese groups blamed Egyptian aircraft for deadly strikes on miners near the border.
For US readers, the row touches a major American ally and a war that Washington has tried to help end. Egypt receives about US$1.3 billion a year in US military aid, and Sudan’s war has displaced millions of people.
What the Egyptian Army Said
The armed forces spokesman said army units and civilian police are continuing phase three of an enlarged campaign against illegal gold-ore prospecting. He said the operation followed the dropping of warning leaflets on what he called criminal elements.
The stated aim is to impose full sovereignty inside Egypt’s borders and protect the country’s national resources and wealth. The statement, published by Youm7 and Al-Manassa, named no location beyond the Eastern Desert and did not mention air strikes or casualties.
It stressed the deep ties between the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples and said millions of Sudanese live peacefully in Egypt. It urged people of the Nile Valley to rely on official sources and ignore misleading rumours and foreign agendas.
Egypt’s army first announced action against gold digging near its southern frontier in June, then a second phase in August. Army figures cited by Sudan Independent listed 58 digging cases in June, plus 20 metal detectors and 86 tonnes of ore seized.
What Sudan Says Happened
Survivors say air strikes hit artisanal gold mines in Sudan’s North Wadi area near the Egyptian border on Saturday, 10 October. Three survivors told Sudan Tribune that at least 200 people died, while others fled into caves and mountains.
Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group, gave a preliminary toll of 72 dead. The Sudan Doctors Network, a medical group, reported about 13 dead and more than 28 wounded.
Radio Dabanga said estimates range from 60 to 200 dead, with many more injured. No toll has been independently confirmed, and the exact location of the strikes remains disputed.
The Sudan Doctors Network cited reports that miners had been warned by the Egyptian side to leave certain areas. People working in the area told Sudan Tribune that Egyptian border guards accuse Sudanese miners of crossing into Egypt.
How Sudan and Egypt Responded
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and head of its ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council, ordered a fact-finding committee on Monday. It includes prosecutors and judicial and security officials, and must report on the circumstances of the deaths.
The council said leaders of both countries had been in contact since the incident and stressed respect for borders. It did not accuse Egypt, but Burhan’s adviser Amjad Farid called the attack on miners an unjustified, unacceptable crime.
In Cairo, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone on Monday with his Sudanese counterpart, Mohieldin Salem. Both stressed respect for each country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and borders, according to ministry spokesman Nader Zaki.
The two ministers also discussed the outcome of a recent summit in El Alamein between the leaders of Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosted that meeting, which Burhan attended.
Separately, two Egyptian truck drivers were shot dead and a third wounded in Khartoum, Egypt’s foreign ministry said. It said Sudanese authorities had arrested the gunman, and officials have not linked the shooting to the border strikes.
For background, read Sudan Gold Miners Say Over 200 Died in Air Strikes. Our first report was Sudan Miners Report Air Strikes Near Egypt, 20 Wounded.
What It Means for US Readers
Egypt is one of the largest recipients of US military aid, at about US$1.3 billion a year in Foreign Military Financing. Congress attaches human-rights conditions to part of that aid in its annual spending bills.
Washington sanctioned Burhan in January 2025, and the State Department keeps Sudan at Level 4, its Do Not Travel warning. Gold is one of Sudan’s main exports, and thousands of artisanal miners work the deserts near the Egyptian frontier.
For investors, Egypt’s Eastern Desert also hosts Sukari, the country’s largest gold mine, owned by NYSE-listed AngloGold Ashanti. Nothing in the army statement links the campaign to Sukari or any other licensed mine.
Both governments are working to calm the row, which limits the risk of a wider rupture. Cairo backs Sudan’s army in its war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and both sides stress close ties.
What Is Not Known
Egypt has not said whether its aircraft carried out the strikes on Saturday, or whether they hit Egyptian or Sudanese territory. The number of dead remains disputed, ranging from about 13 to at least 200 in Sudanese accounts.
It is not known when Sudan’s committee will report, or whether its findings will be published. Burhan promised an inquiry after a similar attack in June, but no results have been made public, Sudan Tribune reported.
The army has not given figures for arrests or seizures in the third phase so far. It is also unclear how long the Egypt gold mining crackdown will last or where it will focus next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Egypt’s army announce on 12 October?
It said army and police units are carrying out the third phase of a campaign against illegal gold-ore prospecting in the Eastern Desert. It said warning leaflets were dropped on what it called criminal elements first.
Did Egypt admit carrying out the air strikes on Sudanese miners?
No. The statement did not mention air strikes or casualties, and Egypt has not said whether its aircraft were involved.
How many miners died in the strikes?
Sudanese accounts range from about 13 dead, reported by the Sudan Doctors Network, to at least 200, according to survivors. No figure has been independently confirmed.
What is Sudan doing about the deaths?
Sudan’s leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, ordered a fact-finding committee of prosecutors, judicial and security officials on 12 October. The ruling council said both leaderships have been in contact.
Why does the Egypt gold mining crackdown matter to the United States?
Egypt receives about US$1.3 billion a year in US military aid, and Washington has sought to help end Sudan’s war. Tension between Cairo and Khartoum would complicate that diplomacy.
Sources: Egyptian armed forces statement via Youm7; Egyptian foreign ministry statement via Youm7; Sudan Tribune (Arabic), army statement; Sudan Tribune (Arabic), Burhan committee; Radio Dabanga (Arabic); Al-Manassa (Arabic); Sudan Independent (Arabic); Al-Masry Al-Youm (Arabic).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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