Muslim worshippers in the city of Ibri in Sudan’s Northern State assaulted an imam and desecrated and burned the mosque to the ground following Friday prayers on 4 September.

Ibrahim Hassan, the head of the Popular Resistance and a member of the security committee, claimed that the attack occurred after the imam, a member of a Salafi Wahhabi group, angered the Sufi community by criticising the celebration of the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. Mr Hassan added that 63 people were subsequently arrested.

However, a CSW source claims that the violence was sparked by the imam’s criticism of artisanal gold miners, accusing them of committing numerous crimes with impunity, as they are protected by the Darfuri Joint Forces, since most of them are from western Sudan. The source added that these events are likely to exacerbate ethnic tensions in a region that has been largely unaffected by the ongoing and previous conflicts in the country, and that the issue of artisanal mining will bring further problems given the proliferation of weapons and militias.

Sudan is estimated to be the fifth largest producer of gold in Africa. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining constitutes most of its production, and it enters the international market in the United Arab Emirates via neighbouring African states. The control over the mining and trading of gold is a significant part of the war economy for both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been in conflict with each other since April 2023.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW condemns the destruction of the mosque in Ibri, regardless of the inciting incident. We call for a thorough investigation into the attack, and for the perpetrators to be held to account, with fair trials and equal treatment regardless of their ethnicity, religion or belief. We also call on authorities in the area to ensure the protection of civilians, and to take steps to prevent any further escalation of tensions in the context of artisanal mining.’