Illustrative image. (Egyptian Ministry of Defense)
The Egyptian military announced on June 22 that it had launched a large-scale operation in the south of the country to tackle gangs involved in illegal gold mining, in addition to drugs and arms trafficking.
Troops arrested 87 Egyptians and 136 foreign citizens, the military said in a statement, adding that firearms, ammunition, 14 vehicles and radio devices, as well as local and foreign currency were seized.
A large amount of equipment used in “random prospecting for mineral wealth” was also found and captured, according to the military.
The statement made no mention of Sudan, but the foreign citizens arrested were reportedly all Sudanese involved illegally to prospect for gold in the desert and mountains of southeastern Egypt.
The Egyptian military said that the operation would continue, adding that an unspecified number of illegal migrants had been deported.
Those arrested “posed a direct threat to national security and, moreover, negatively impacted the nation’s economic stability,” per the military.
Egypt’s southeastern region bordering Sudan is rich with gold mines and the government has launched big mining projects there including the Sukari megaproject.
Illegal gold mining has grown significantly on both sides of the border since the civil war broke out in Sudan in 2023, causing an economic crisis. More than 50 percent of gold mined in Sudan was smuggled out of the country, according to a United Nations Panel of Experts Report in 2024. Gold accounts for 70 percent of the country’s revenue.
Sudan’s military chief, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, said in a statement during a visit to the gold-rich northeastern region on June 22 that the government “affirms our full appreciation and respect for our neighboring countries (to the north and east), and we call upon our citizens to not move toward the borders to incite any problems.”
He also added that the government was working to combat illegal smuggling and mining and would investigate the situation in the region.
The Egyptian military operation along the border with Sudan didn’t come as a surprise, as there have been reports of strikes targeting illegal gold miners there in recent weeks. Despite cooperation between the Egyptian and Sudanese sides, more escalation is to be expected along the border as up to 50,000 people are believed to be working illegally there.
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