Sudanese protest against gold exploration quelled

Agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) barred a group of North Kordofani activists from delivering a memorandum to the Commissioner of Sudari locality on Monday and detained one of the protesters.

In the memorandum, the activists protest against the confiscation of lands owned by North Kordofani citizens by a number of gold exploration companies.

Protester Tirab Mohamed El Nur was detained during the attempt to submit the memo, and charged of disturbing the public order and causing chaos.

He told Radio Dabanga from the NISS detention centre in Sudari town that a number of gold exploration companies affiliated with government officials have taken over vast areas of land belonging to Kordofanis without any form of compensation.

“Those companies have obtained millions of pounds from the sweat of Kordofani workers who had to dig the soil from which the gold is extracted,” the activist said. “In addition, carcinogens have been used during the exploration which threaten the lives of thousands of people in Sudari.”