Sudan protests to Egypt over detention of gold miners

December 13, 2016 (KHARTOUM) –Sudan’s government on Tuesday has officially filled a complaint to the Egyptian government for detaining Sudanese gold prospectors inside its national territory.

Last week, media reports said that an Egyptian force has attacked a traditional mining site owned a by a Sudanese miner in Al-Alagi valley, in Tharyira area of the Red Sea State, and detained 45 Sudanese miners and seized their drilling machine.

Commenting on the incident on Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Ghandour, said that Sudan has protested to the Egyptian foreign ministry about the detention of the Sudanese gold prospectors and their ill treatment.

On his part, the Minister of Minerals Ahmed Sadiq al-Karouri, condemned the detention of gold mining workers inside the country, saying it is a big violation to the integrity of Sudanese territory and it people.

In August 2015, Egyptian authorities released 37 miners after being held for 5 five months on charges of cross-border infiltration. But their properties estimated at $8 million are still held by the Egyptian Army.

Gold has become one of Sudan’s largest exports which partially compensated for the loss in oil revenues after South Sudan’s secession in July 2011.

Sudan approved a law to regulate traditional mining by granting licenses and specifying areas to work in to protect them from hazardous conditions and smuggling.

It is believed that traditional mining employs more than a million Sudanese but it is still difficult to obtain credible data.

(ST)