Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese civilians displaced by war are fuelling an expansion of artisanal gold mining that threatens drinking water, farmland and public health in the country’s River Nile and Northern states, according to a Sudan Tribune report.
The conflict has devastated agriculture, industry and trade, leaving informal gold prospecting among the few remaining sources of income. An estimated 2 million to 5 million people now depend on the largely unregulated sector.
Miners in El-Obeidiya told Sudan Tribune that economic desperation has left them relying on mercury mixers and cyanide processing basins despite the health and environmental dangers.
The growing dependence on informal mining presents a dilemma for Sudanese authorities, who must balance livelihoods against mounting contamination risks while the conflict undermines their ability to enforce environmental safeguards.
The dangers extend beyond chemical exposure. An airstrike on an artisanal gold mine near the Sudan-Egypt border on Oct. 10 killed at least 114 people, according to Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers. Many of the victims were young Sudanese seeking work amid an economic collapse driven by three years of war.
Miners blamed Egypt for the attack. The Egyptian military subsequently confirmed operations targeting illegal gold mining in the eastern desert but did not acknowledge the airstrike. An earlier strike on the same site in June reportedly killed at least 15 people, while Egyptian forces have also raided mining operations, arrested miners and confiscated equipment.
Toxic footprint
Field investigations identified rapidly expanding gold processing operations around El-Obeidiya, Abu Hamad and nearby seasonal valleys, where miners use cyanide extraction basins and chemical processing equipment close to date palm groves and shallow groundwater sources.
The operations have left millions of tonnes of potentially toxic mining waste, locally known as karta, containing mercury and cyanide near agricultural land and residential communities.
Laboratory tests of soil samples from Village 3 in River Nile state recorded mercury readings as high as 2,825.24, with deeper samples exceeding 1,055 and 866. The report described the concentrations as far above World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency safety standards, although the measurement units were not specified.
Contamination also threatens traditional clay water-cooling pots, livestock troughs and the Keheila canal. Earlier academic surveys detected mercury and cyanide in 20% of sampled drinking water supplies north of Atbara and south of Berber, while biological samples from children aged four to 11 showed evidence of mercury exposure.
In Abu Hamad, miners have constructed rudimentary extraction ponds without protective plastic liners, allowing chemicals to seep into the ground and potentially reach groundwater supplies. The report also described rising respiratory and skin-related illnesses in affected communities, although it did not establish a direct causal link to mining exposure.
Local farmers said unauthorized chemical processing equipment operates around the clock, with little effective regulatory intervention.
Oversight under strain
Artisanal mining accounts for approximately 80% of Sudan’s gold production, according to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company. The country officially exported 14.7 tonnes of gold worth $1.536 billion in 2025, representing more than 58% of total export revenues, according to Central Bank of Sudan data.
The sector’s economic importance complicates efforts to restrict hazardous extraction practices, particularly as displacement pushes more people into mining areas beyond the reach of government inspectors.
An official from the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company told the Sudan Tribune wartime conditions had severely weakened regulatory oversight. Although authorities prohibit mercury and cyanide use outside certified facilities, widespread displacement and the country’s vast geography have enabled unauthorized processing operations to proliferate.
The official said the agency continues to conduct joint inspections with state governments and security forces to dismantle illegal sites and protect local water supplies.
The continued spread of chemical processing near farms and communities, however, raises questions about whether enforcement campaigns can contain the environmental damage while conflict and economic hardship sustain demand for informal mining.