The Sudanese Forces of the Declaration of Principles, a coalition of political and military groups opposed to the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has warned the Egyptian army against repeating attacks on Sudanese miners similar to the Jebel Al-Uqaidat attack in Northern Wadi, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of approximately 200 miners.
Among the group’s prominent members are the coalition led by Dr. Abdalla Hamdok and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur.
Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Nayer, a leader within the Sudanese Forces of the Declaration of Principles, told Radio Tamazuj that they warned the Egyptian army against targeting Sudanese people.
“The Forces of the Declaration of Principles have followed with grave concern the statement by the spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces, which announced the launch of a new fourth military campaign beginning on Saturday 7 November, targeting poor Sudanese people working in gold mines, in coordination with the Sudanese Armed Forces in areas under army control, under the pretext of pursuing looting and infiltration gangs,” he stated.
Al-Nayer described the Sudanese government authorities as weak and submissive when it comes to addressing the concerns of their own people, saying that the blood of the miners was a responsibility that rested on the conscience of the nation.
“Traditional miners are unarmed civilians who have gone out in search of an honest livelihood,” he said. “Describing them as gangs and criminal elements raises serious concerns about the fate of people whose only wrongdoing is facing poverty and war.”
The Forces of the Declaration of Principles also expressed reservations about the Egyptian statement issued on Friday, which said that operations would be carried out on Saturday, November 7, inside Egyptian territory without affecting any civilian targets.
They noted that previous airstrikes, according to reports and testimonies from survivors, had taken place inside Sudanese territory and had been carried out by Egyptian aircraft. They called for an independent and transparent international investigation into the incidents and for the identities of those responsible for crimes against unarmed civilians to be revealed.
The coalition expressed serious concerns that the issue of Sudanese miners could become a pretext for the Egyptian army to expand its presence inside Sudan, at a time when dozens of reports have emerged about the looting of Sudan’s natural resources since the outbreak of the war, particularly gold, through organized Sudanese-Egyptian cartels, while poor Sudanese miners are pursued with bullets and airstrikes.
Al-Nayer stressed that the targeted mining areas are an integral part of Sudanese territory and should not become operational zones for foreign forces under any pretext, whether combating smuggling or securing borders.
He further stated that Egypt was coordinating with authorities that lacked legitimacy, referring to the Port Sudan government. He held the Sudanese Armed Forces responsible for failing to protect Sudan’s borders, as well as for their responsibility to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.
At the end of his statement, he called on all Sudanese civilians, political, youth, and humanitarian forces to stand united in defending the country’s miners and to support efforts to protect Sudanese sovereignty and national dignity.
and then