Dozens of people died when a gold mine collapsed in southern Sudan, although less than a dozen bodies have been recovered. At least a dozen miners were also injured in the collapse on Friday in Sudan’s South Kordofan region.
It is unlikely that many survivors will be found. But the Sudan Doctors Network called for more rescue efforts and urgent medical assistance for the injured. It also urged Sudan’s government to take measures to protect miners, including setting safety standards and conducting regular inspections, to prevent more such disasters.
But Sudan is in the midst of a bloody civil war that has killed 400,000 people, so Sudan’s government is unlikely to pay any attention to what the doctors network advocated. Rebels are advancing on a major city in central Sudan, and recently used drones to kill hundreds of people there. A drone killed dozens of people at a funeral.
The doctors network also called for punishing those responsible for the mine collapse.
A news report notes that
Small-scale gold mining employs more than 2 million people across Sudan, often under extremely harsh conditions, and produces about 80% of the country’s total gold output.
While the Sudanese government does not ban artisanal mining, it seeks to regulate it. Despite its drawbacks, the sector employs a large number of Sudanese and contributes to job creation.
Sudan relies on gold as a major source of foreign currency after losing three-quarters of its oil revenues following the 2011 secession of South Sudan, which also resulted in the loss of 80% of the country’s foreign currency resources.
