Gold mining, a major funding source for the war in Sudan, has spread into some of the country’s agricultural areas, poisoning crops, livestock and people with toxic byproducts.
In River Nile State, north of Khartoum, farmers report dramatic drops in the production of staple crops such as wheat and fava beans. At the same time, cattle farmers are seeing birth defects and indications that adult livestock are being poisoned, possibly with mercury.
Even more troubling, miscarriages and birth defects are rising among women in the region, according to local doctors.
River Nile State has long been among Sudan’s most active gold mining regions. Mining there and elsewhere across Sudan has expanded as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rely on gold exports to fund their operations.
The agricultural community of Abu Hamad, which is in SAF-controlled territory, has become one of Sudan’s largest hubs for artisanal gold mining. It’s also the epicenter of health and environmental problems connected to hundreds of mounds of tailings — the mix of rocks, soil and toxic chemicals left behind by mining operations — that surround the community.
Artisanal mining makes up ...