SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Darfur holdout group strengthens military capacity thanks to gold mining

20/1/2020: Sudan Tribune - Darfur holdout group strengthens military capacity thanks to gold mining

Sudan Tribune reports that the Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Abdelwahid el-Nur (SLM-AW) has strengthened its military capability thanks to the significant goldfields in Torroye, a rebel-controlled area in Jebel Marra, according to a report by a UN panel.

The report said the discovery of gold-mines has funded a recruitment drive and purchase of weapons from local militias, with SLM-AW commanders supervising mining operations by the residents and collecting 25% of the revenue generated by artisanal miners

The report cited rebel sources to say that a new SLM-AW training center hosts 150 trainees recruited from former fighters and internally displaced persons.

Furthermore, the SLM-AW discovery of gold triggered conflict between rebels, security forces and militias, with clashes between miners and the Sudanese military in East Jebel Marra causing two deaths in September 2019.