Numbers of Livestock and Birds Have Died in South Kordofan

Sudan Events – Follow-ups

Activists in the field of environmental protection in Talodi locality, South Kordofan state, have revealed the death of large numbers of livestock and birds as a result of drinking from the waste treatment ponds of civil mining in the Midaran mine, which is located about 30 km southeast of Talodi on the road to the city of Liri.
The activists pointed out that there are about 35 mixers in the mine, which employs about 60 workers and technicians, in addition to hundreds of traditional miners. They also revealed that there are 50 mixers in the Al-Laffa mine, which is about 5 km north of the Midaran mine. An activist in the Environmental Advocacy Committee confirmed, according to Radio Dabanga, that the “Dedan Mining Group,” which previously worked as an intermediary for the international company working in the field of mining, came to the region to invest in the field of gold through fermentation tanks that use the harmful substance cyanide. He explained that this method causes significant health and environmental damage, including pollution of the water of underground wells, excavations, and water courses (streams) in addition to air pollution. He stated that the mine and sites of mining activities in the region are in the middle of residential areas. He pointed out that the Environmental Protection Committee in Talodi has monitored these days the death of large numbers of animals and birds inside the ponds and in the surrounding areas after drinking directly from the water of these open and unprotected ponds.
Activists in the field of environmental protection in the region warned against the danger of these activities to human life and the surrounding environment, and pointed out that mining companies in Talodi locality in South Kordofan state have intensified their gold mining activities using materials harmful to human health and the environment since last September, taking advantage of the war conditions. They explained that despite the decision of the Ministry of Energy and Mining issued in the year (2020) to stop mixers and the substance “thiourea” throughout Sudan, mining companies in the region have increased the pace of their work during the recent period, with citizens threatened with liquidation and imprisonment if they speak about their activities. They pointed out that the companies recruited individuals and armed them to guard the sites of their mining activities and prevent citizens from approaching the sites of their activities. The residents of the area appealed to the concerned authorities to intervene immediately to stop mining activities in the area, which they said had caused major health and environmental damage.