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Sudan
- Gold bullion blocks are pictured at gold refinery in Khartoum on 11 October 2012 (SUNA)
In September 2012, Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir inaugurated the country’s first gold refinery in a fresh bid to lift an economy still struggling from the impact of losing the oil-rich South Sudan in 2011.
Sudan’s government is attempting to capitalise on increased gold mining activities primarily by ordinary citizens as well as foreign companies, projecting around $3 billion in 2012. Sudan’s Ministry of Mining reported in September 2012 that 5,000 people are prospecting for gold in over 80 locations across Sudan.
- FILE - A local brings his gold for examination at a gold laboratory in the gold market in Khartoum (Reuters)
But some analysts are skeptical that the gold production will offset only a tiny fraction of the lost oil revenues. So far there is no evidence that the new discoveries have helped to shore up the budget deficit or boost foreign currency inflows.
In the last few years Sudan has witnessed a gold rush which attracted informal miners from all over the country and reportedly some foreigners.
A gold refinery was inaugurated late last year which will produce gold to international standards and help reduce the amount of ore smuggled overseas to places such as Dubai.
The central bank banned exports of gold ore effective this month.
South Sudan
Links
- Friday 29 March 2013
March 28, 2013(BOR) – South Sudan’s Jonglei state residents have started illegal gold mining and smuggling into neighbouring Ethiopia for sale to make ends meet, a local government official said Thursday. Logudo Johnson speaks during the (...)
- Sunday 11 November 2012
November 10, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan and China have agreed to work towards increasing the former’s oil production and boosting cooperation in the field of mining, officials said. An oil refinery built and financed by China, 100 km from (...)
- Monday 8 October 2012
By Magdi El Gizouli
October 8, 2012 — Sudan’s major grain producers, the landowners of Gedaref, complained bitterly to the press this week of an acute shortage of labour and warned of yet another failed agricultural season. The local (...)
- Friday 18 January 2013
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
January 18, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – A Canadian mining company has failed to stop serious human rights abuses against Eritrean employees working at a gold-mining exploitation project, a new report by Human Rights Watch (...)
- Sunday 1 April 2012
March 31, 2012 (JUBA) - South Sudan is open to investment in the oil and minerals sector, the country’s deputy minister of petroleum and mining told Sudan Tribune on Saturday, explaining that it is in the interest of the government to (...)
- Friday 22 February 2013
February 21, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - There has been improved humanitarian access during the past week to displaced people in North Darfur’s conflict-affected Jebel Amir area, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs body. Women (...)
- Thursday 31 January 2013
January 30, 2013 (LONDON) - Members of Sudan’s security forces were reportedly involved in January attacks that left up to 200 people dead near a goldmine in Darfur, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, calling for an urgent (...)
- Friday 23 March 2012
March 22, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – A group of gunmen on Thursday robbed six vehicles belonging to local gold-miners in western Sudan’s region of North Kordofan.
The victims of the robbery recounted that 23 robbers riding a Land Cruiser (...)
- Monday 14 January 2013
January 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese ministry of minerals disclosed Sunday that a number of foreigners were detained at a crossing point as they attempted to smuggle rocks containing precious metals. FILE - A local brings his gold (...)
- Friday 12 October 2012
October 11, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan is set to ship the first batch of gold coming out of the refinery inaugurated last month according to an official in Khartoum. Gold bullion blocks are pictured at gold refinery in Khartoum on 11 (...)
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