• Over 70 miners were killed in an airstrike in the Sudan-Egypt border area on Saturday.
• The attack has sparked accusations against the Egyptian military for targeting unarmed civilians.
• Local rights groups decry the assault as a violation of international humanitarian law.

On Saturday, an airstrike in a gold mining area near the disputed Sudan-Egypt border killed at least 72 artisanal miners, with many more injured, according to the Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers. They claim the attack originated from Egyptian military jets targeting civilians, which has led to widespread condemnation of the action as a violation of international law. Eyewitness reports described scenes of chaos as the aircraft fired missiles directly into miners' camps, with many casualties resulting from the assault, according to BBC and Al Jazeera.

The airstrike, which occurred in the River Nile state region, is reported to be part of a broader crackdown by Egyptian authorities on illegal gold mining activities along its borders. The rights group has previously criticized Egypt for similar attacks, arguing that they signify a lack of control over the area and constitute potential war crimes. They noted that previous investigations suggested the Egyptian military had used drones and artillery against miners, exacerbating tensions at the border, as highlighted by sources including BBC and India Times.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has escalated the hazardous practice of artisanal mining, often undertaken by civilians using rudimentary tools. This rise is linked to the civil war that has resulted in over 200,000 fatalities since April 2023, forcing many into this dangerous occupation. Amidst the chaos, the gold extracted has reportedly been used to finance both sides of the conflict, as noted by India Times and Al Jazeera.

The disputed border area, rich in gold and mineral resources, has also been significantly affected by Egypt's attempts to assert control over these resources, often aligning military operations to combat alleged illegal mining. Such actions have included the detention of hundreds of individuals involved in these practices, further complicating the humanitarian crisis in the region. This military assertiveness has drawn both local and international scrutiny regarding its implications for human rights and regional stability, according to BBC, Al Jazeera, and India Times.