Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake has called for immediate mobilisation of rescue teams following a mine collapse in Sudan, with reports indicating that dozens of people may have died while others remain missing and feared trapped beneath the rubble.
File photo of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake
Chairman, Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dele Alake, on Thursday called for an immediate rescue mobilisation following the Kordofan mine collapse in Sudan.
A statement by Alake said all available regional and local resources must be urgently pooled to deploy heavy lifting and excavation equipment to the Al-Zaraa site to accelerate the search-and-rescue efforts and provide medical care to any survivors.
The AMSG urged the authorities to prioritise miner safety and accelerate the formalisation of artisanal miners.
“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.
“Human life must always supersede resource extraction. Vulnerable workers operating in conflict-affected or politically unstable regions must be protected from preventable structural hazards.”
The African miners group condoled with Sudan, noting that the incident was a preventable crisis.
“It is with profound shock, sorrow, and a heavy heart that the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) receives the devastating reports of the mine collapse at the informal Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town in West Kordofan, Sudan.
“On behalf of the leadership and member states of the AMSG, I extend our deepest, heartfelt 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.
Initial reports indicating that dozens of lives have been lost—with many more still missing and feared trapped beneath the rubble—highlight a human catastrophe of immense proportions.
The tragedy, reportedly triggered by the collapse of interconnected shafts in loose terrain, as Alake noting that the crisis underscored the extreme and perilous conditions faced by millions of informal and artisanal workers across the African continent.
“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.
“The total absence of structural engineering standards, safety gear, and regulatory oversight in such remote sites creates an unacceptable culture of risk.
Furthermore, Alake noted that the severe constraints on rescue operations, where survivors and local responders are forced to rely on rudimentary hand tools due to a lack of heavy excavation machinery, compound the tragedy.
The AMSG added that it stands in solidarity with the families grieving in Kordofan and reaffirms its commitment to advocating for policies that ensure African minerals are mined, managed, and processed with dignity, safety, and respect for human life.
