00:00Armed with metal detectors, unregulated miners comb through the mountains of Dalgoum Mahaz in northern Sudan in search of gold.
00:09Working in small private mines, many have turned to the risky industry as economic hardship pushes families to find new
00:17ways to survive.
00:20I used to work in agriculture, but the increase in oil prices and power outages led to a decline in
00:27production levels.
00:28The harvest wasn't reaching the markets on time, so we turned to mining to make a living.
00:39The miners won a thousand spread across Sudan, where small-scale gold mining has become deeply tied to the country's
00:46devastating war.
00:47The conflict has fueled economic collapse and in some regions, pushed communities to the brink of famine.
00:57I was studying, and after graduating, I turned to agriculture and worked in it for three years.
01:02Due to the high oil prices, agriculture no longer covered expenses.
01:06So I turned to mining, and gold mining is the only thing I can rely on.
01:16Gold remains at the center of the war in Sudan, with large quantities allegedly smuggled out to finance the paramilitary
01:22rapid support forces.
01:24UN experts say the group controls key gold-producing areas in Darfur and Kordofan.
01:30I've been working in gold mining since 2014, when the war broke out in Sudan, I had no option but
01:36to work in gold mining.
01:38Many young people and many families depend on mining.
01:43Sudan produced 70 tons of gold last year, cementing its place among Africa's top producer.
01:50The sector generated nearly $1.8 billion in revenue in 2025 alone.
01:55The sector generated by the
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