Sudanese protest against use of cyanide in North Kordofan

Residents of Sodari in North Kordofan protested against the use of cyanide in extracting gold on Sunday.

The protesters handed a memorandum to the Commissioner of Sodari demanding closure of the gold cyanidation site in the locality within 72 hours. They fear pollution of the water sources in the neighbourhood.

Sodari activists who spoke to Radio Dabanga on Sunday also condemned the lack of development in North Kordofan in general, and in Sodari in particular. “The revenues of the resources in the state “disappear in the pockets of large traders and government officials,” they said.

Cyanidation is a technique for extracting gold from low-grade ore. It is the most commonly used process for gold extraction. Because of the highly toxic nature of cyanide however, the process is controversial, and its usage banned in a number of countries.

In Talodi in South Kordofan, two anti-cyanide protesters were injured last week, when they stormed the gold cyanidation site in Tagola, and clashed with paramilitaries of the Central Reserve Police (Abu Tira), who are in charge of guarding the Tagola gold mining site. The confrontations led to the burning of the entire site.

On Sunday, a resident of Talodi told this station that about “200 additional Abu Tira forces” arrived at Talodi from Abu Jubeiha.