The Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, on Thursday called for the immediate mobilisation of a large-scale rescue operation following the collapse of the Al-Zaraa gold mine in Sudan’s West Kordofan State.
In a statement, Alake urged authorities to urgently pool available regional and local resources and deploy heavy lifting and excavation equipment to the mine site to accelerate search-and-rescue operations and provide medical assistance to any survivors.
The AMSG also called on Sudanese authorities to prioritise the safety of miners and intensify efforts to formalise artisanal and informal mining operations.
“Across Africa, we must accelerate efforts to bring artisanal and informal mining operations into a regulated framework. Governments, regional bodies and industry stakeholders must cooperate to provide training, basic safety enforcement and institutional oversight to safeguard workers,” Alake said.
He stressed that the protection of human life must take precedence over mineral extraction, particularly for workers operating in conflict-affected and politically unstable areas.
The AMSG expressed condolences to the families and communities affected by the disaster, describing the incident as a devastating tragedy.
“It is with profound shock, sorrow and a heavy heart that the Africa Minerals Strategy Group receives the devastating reports of the mine collapse at the informal Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town in West Kordofan, Sudan,” the statement said.
“On behalf of the leadership and member states of the AMSG, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones and communities of the artisanal miners who tragically lost their lives, as well as to the people and authorities of Sudan.”
The group said initial reports that dozens of people had been killed, with many others still missing and feared trapped beneath the rubble, pointed to a catastrophe of significant proportions.
According to the statement, the collapse was reportedly triggered by the failure of interconnected shafts in loose terrain, highlighting the hazardous conditions faced by millions of artisanal and informal miners across Africa.
Alake acknowledged that artisanal mining provides an important source of income for communities grappling with conflict and economic hardship but said it should not come at the expense of workers’ safety and dignity.
“While artisanal mining serves as a vital economic lifeline for communities weathering severe conflict and economic hardship, it must never come at the cost of human dignity and safety,” he said.
He added that the absence of structural engineering standards, protective equipment and adequate regulatory oversight at remote mining sites had created an unacceptable level of risk.
Alake also raised concerns about the challenges confronting rescue teams, noting that survivors and local responders were reportedly relying on rudimentary hand tools because of the lack of heavy excavation machinery.
The AMSG said it stood in solidarity with the affected families and communities in Kordofan and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting policies that ensure Africa’s mineral resources are mined, managed and processed with dignity, safety and respect for human life.
