The Sudanese Alliance for Rights strongly condemns the drone strikes and artillery bombardment that targeted artisanal gold miners in the Al-Ansari and Al-Ogaidat mining areas of River Nile State, near the Sudan-Egypt border, on Tuesday, 16 June 2026.
According to information received from our local sources, the attack killed several miners and injured dozens of others. The exact number of casualties remains unknown at this time due to the ongoing insecurity in the area and the difficulties faced by rescue teams in accessing the affected sites. Reports further indicate that many miners were forced to flee into nearby mountainous areas, while some victims may remain trapped in mining shafts as a result of the attack. Reports also suggest that vehicles attempting to evacuate civilians from the affected area were struck during the bombardment.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights is deeply concerned by reports alleging that the attack was carried out by Egyptian military drones. While investigations into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing, the reported loss of civilian life and the scale of the harm inflicted on mining communities warrant urgent attention and independent scrutiny.
The reported attack is not an isolated incident. Since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Sudan in April 2023, gold mining areas have increasingly been affected by military operations, aerial bombardments, and drone strikes linked to the broader conflict dynamics and competition over strategic resources. Several attacks on artisanal mining sites in Darfur and other parts of Sudan have resulted in civilian casualties among miners and surrounding communities. The attack of 16 June 2026 therefore appears to form part of a disturbing pattern in which civilian economic sites and livelihood sources are increasingly exposed to the effects of hostilities, with devastating consequences for civilian populations.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights will launch an independent investigation into the reported attack and its impact on civilian mining communities. Working closely with local sources, affected communities, medical personnel, and other relevant stakeholders, we will seek to verify the exact number of those killed and injured, document the circumstances surrounding the incident, and preserve evidence that may contribute to future accountability efforts. We will provide updated findings as additional information becomes available.
The attack raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law. The principle of distinction, codified in Article 48 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and recognised under customary international humanitarian law, requires parties to a conflict to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives. Article 51(2) of Additional Protocol I further prohibits attacks directed against civilians, while Rule 1 of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Customary International Humanitarian Law Study affirms the obligation of parties to distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Artisanal miners and mining sites used for civilian purposes are protected under international humanitarian law unless and for such time as they are being used for military purposes. Reports indicating that miners were killed and injured while carrying out their livelihoods therefore raise serious concerns regarding compliance with the obligation to protect civilians from the effects of hostilities.
Furthermore, if the expected civilian harm was excessive in relation to any anticipated military advantage, the attack would violate the principle of proportionality reflected in Article 51(5)(b) of Additional Protocol I and customary international humanitarian law. Reports that civilians attempting to flee the area and vehicles used for evacuation were also struck raise additional concerns regarding compliance with the obligation to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians, as required under Article 57 of Additional Protocol I. Should investigations establish that the attack was intentionally directed against civilians or civilian objects, those responsible may have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law that could amount to war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
In light of the gravity of the allegations, the Sudanese Alliance for Rights calls upon the Government of Egypt to publicly clarify its role, if any, in the attack and to cooperate fully with any independent and impartial investigation into the incident.
We further call upon the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan to urgently investigate the attack, establish the facts surrounding the incident, identify those responsible, and include its findings in its reporting to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
We call upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to closely monitor developments, support efforts to document violations arising from the attack, and ensure that evidence is preserved for future accountability processes.
We also call upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly its Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Focal Point on Reprisals in Africa and its Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa, to engage with the matter and urge all parties to respect their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.
Finally, we call upon the African Union Peace and Security Council, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the wider international community to take urgent measures to prevent further attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and to support independent accountability efforts for violations committed in the context of the conflict in Sudan.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights reiterates that civilians must never be targeted and that all parties must comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law. The continued exposure of civilian communities and livelihood sites to military attacks deepens the humanitarian crisis and undermines prospects for peace, security, and justice in Sudan.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights,
18 June 2026
