Sudanese Human Rights Monitor: Deadly airstrikes on artisanal mining sites in northern Sudan

Sudanese Human Rights Monitor: Deadly airstrikes on artisanal mining sites in northern Sudan. The Sudanese Human Rights Monitor demands the protection of civilians, an independent investigation, and accountability, while rejecting unlawful foreign military interventions. October 13, 2026. The Sudanese Human Rights Monitor condemns in the strongest terms the airstrikes that targeted artisanal mining sites in the Northern Valley region on the Sudanese-Egyptian border on October 9 and 10, 2026. Preliminary reports and testimonies indicate that dozens of Sudanese miners were killed or wounded at several locations, with work sites and camps destroyed, and mines collapsing with workers believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. The Monitor expresses its deep concern regarding reports of thousands of miners fleeing the area under extremely difficult conditions, the detention of some who reached Port Sudan, and the reported abduction of others into Egyptian territory. The Monitor calls for an urgent verification of this information, the disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of all detainees, the guarantee of their safety and legal rights, and protection against enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, or any treatment prohibited by international human rights law. Officials in Sudan and Egypt have remained silent regarding the details of the raid and those responsible thus far. However, it should be noted that the Egyptian air force has previously carried out such attacks in 2024, last February, and in the second half of June 2026 in the 'Wadi Allaqi' area, as acknowledged in an official statement by the Egyptian Armed Forces on June 22, 2026. Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan promised at the time to investigate that assault, just as he has promised now. The Monitor asserts that both previous and current attacks necessitate an independent and impartial investigation, based on reliable and verifiable evidence, to determine the nature of the targeted sites, the responsible parties, the circumstances surrounding the attacks, and the extent of adherence to international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of 'distinction, proportionality, and taking necessary precautions to protect civilians.' It also stresses that the right to life, physical integrity, and human dignity are inherent rights, and that the protection of civilians remains a legal obligation that cannot be subjected to any security or investment considerations. The Monitor confirms that human rights are indivisible and that accountability must include everyone proven responsible for violations, regardless of their identity, position, or affiliation. It also emphasizes that preserving Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respecting international law, and rejecting unlawful foreign military interventions are fundamental pillars to prevent the escalation of the conflict, and that addressing border security must be done through legal means, not through military operations that endanger the lives of citizens. Therefore, the Sudanese Human Rights Monitor demands an independent, urgent, and transparent investigation into the reported raids, ensuring access for rescue teams and medical and humanitarian agencies to the affected areas, disclosing the casualty toll and the fate of the missing and detained, preserving evidence, holding those responsible accountable according to due process, and ensuring the right of victims and their families to truth, justice, and reparation. It also calls for the immediate cessation of any unlawful military operations that put Sudanese civilians at risk. The Monitor further calls upon the Sudanese authorities to fulfill their legal responsibilities to protect their citizens both within and outside the borders, and to take urgent steps to communicate with Egyptian authorities to reveal the fate of the detainees, ensure they are not subjected to any violations, and prevent the recurrence of these unjustified attacks. The Monitor calls on the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan to investigate these assaults, uncover the facts, and identify those responsible.