The Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) has called for the immediate mobilisation of rescue resources following the collapse of an informal gold mine in West Kordofan, Sudan, which reportedly killed dozens of artisanal miners and left several others trapped underground.
The incident occurred at the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town, where interconnected shafts reportedly collapsed in loose terrain.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Office of the Chairman of the AMSG, Dele Alake, the group expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the tragedy, describing the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers confronting informal and artisanal miners across Africa.
The AMSG said the reported difficulties in rescuing those trapped underground had further compounded the tragedy, noting that survivors and local responders were relying on rudimentary hand tools because of the absence of heavy excavation equipment.
The group called on regional and local authorities to pool available resources and urgently deploy heavy lifting and excavation equipment to the mine site to accelerate search-and-rescue operations and provide medical assistance to survivors.
It also urged governments, regional bodies and industry stakeholders across Africa to intensify efforts to formalise artisanal and informal mining operations and bring them under appropriate regulatory and safety frameworks.
According to the group, artisanal mining remains an important source of livelihood for communities affected by conflict and economic hardship, but the absence of structural engineering standards, protective equipment and regulatory oversight exposes workers to unacceptable risks.
“Human life must always supersede resource extraction,” the statement said, stressing the need to protect vulnerable workers operating in conflict-affected and politically unstable regions from preventable structural hazards.
The AMSG further called for greater investment in training, basic safety enforcement and institutional oversight as part of efforts to improve conditions for artisanal miners across the continent.
Alake said the group remained committed to advocating policies aimed at ensuring that Africa’s mineral resources are mined, managed and processed in a manner that prioritises the safety and dignity of workers.
