By Benson Daniel
Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, has called for the immediate mobilisation of rescue equipment following the collapse of an informal gold mine in Sudan’s West Kordofan State.
The collapse occurred at the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud, where at least 82 people have been reported dead and several others injured. More miners are feared to remain trapped beneath sand and rubble as rescue efforts continue.
Alake urged authorities and regional stakeholders to urgently pool available resources and deploy heavy lifting and excavation machinery to the affected site. He said the equipment was needed to accelerate the search for survivors and provide medical assistance to those rescued.
The rescue operation has reportedly been hampered by a severe shortage of specialised equipment, with local responders relying largely on rudimentary tools. The difficult conditions have made it challenging to reach people who may still be trapped underground.
The AMSG chairman also called for greater attention to the safety of artisanal and informal miners across Africa, particularly those working in remote areas where regulatory oversight and professional mining standards are limited.
He said the collapse highlighted the dangers created by inadequate structural engineering, insufficient protective equipment and weak safety regulations. Alake stressed that the pursuit of mineral resources should not come at the expense of human life.
The AMSG is urging African governments, regional organisations and mining stakeholders to accelerate efforts to bring artisanal and informal mining operations into regulated frameworks. Such measures, it said, should include improved training, basic safety enforcement and stronger institutional oversight.
The Al-Zaraa mine is located in an area of West Kordofan controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has been fighting Sudan’s military since 2023. The wider conflict has severely disrupted economic activity and contributed to the growth of informal mining as many people seek alternative sources of income.
Sudan remains one of Africa’s major gold-producing countries, with much of its output coming from artisanal and small-scale mining. Informal operations, however, can expose workers to dangerous working conditions, particularly where shafts lack proper engineering and safety systems.
The latest disaster has renewed concerns about the risks faced by thousands of miners working outside formal regulatory structures. For Alake and the AMSG, the immediate priority is to strengthen the rescue operation while also addressing the underlying safety problems that continue to expose miners to preventable accidents.
Leave a comment