Artisanal Gold Mining Camps in the Butana Plain as Migration Hubs
Artisanal Gold Mining Camps in the Butana Plain as Migration Hubs
Date: Wednesday July 10th, 2024
Time: 11am
Speakers: Musa Adam Abdul-Jalil (University of Khartoum)
Abstract:
Artisanal gold mining has been a crucial driver in the Sudanese economy ever since the secession of South Sudan in 2011. In less than a decade, the phenomenon has spread very quickly to encompass most of the country. The new sites for artisanal gold mining have quickly turned into camps that attract thousands of young men seeking work as diggers and processors or in service provision such as water, food, hospitality and transport. The Butana plain – a vast area encompassing five states Gadarif, Kassala, Gazira, Khartoum & River Nile – has long been considered a strategic location for migrants from the Horn of Africa, on route either to Khartoum or directly to Egypt and Libya on their way to Europe. The newly established gold mining camps in this area became sites of dense social interactions and opportunities. The camps function as migration hubs for a large number of young men who see their stay in the mines as a temporary stop on the way to the Gulf States, Europe or North America. They get information and logistical support that enables them to plan their journey out of Sudan while living and working in the camps.
Biography of the Speaker:
Dr. Musa Adam Abdul-Jalil is a professor of Social Anthropology and the Director of the Peace Research Institute at the University of Khartoum. Dr. Abdul-Jali’s research focuses on various aspects of socio-cultural anthropology in Sudan with a special emphasis on Darfur. He has published widely on ethnicity and identity, customary law, land tenure and farmer-herder conflicts, as well as migration and forced displacement.
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
luisaarango2020 (23 mai 2024). Artisanal Gold Mining Camps in the Butana Plain as Migration Hubs. Researching Sudan - A perspective on contemporary Sudans. Consulté le 6 février 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/11pmo