Activists said on Monday that 65 sheep had died after drinking from a water source contaminated with cyanide, a highly toxic substance used in mining activities in the Talodi area of South Kordofan State.
Experts have warned of growing environmental and health risks threatening local communities and livestock as a result of the use of this highly toxic substance.
The Anti-Cyanide Use Committee, a community-based group established to oppose the use of the substance in South Kordofan’s mining areas, said that a resident of Talodi had lost 65 sheep this week due to cyanide contamination at the Bashayer mine.
The committee warned against the continued use of cyanide in mining areas, noting that its dangers extend beyond humans and animals to water sources, grazing lands, and environmental resources, amid what it described as a lack of oversight and accountability.
The committee accused the authorities and the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company of covering up a similar incident in the Al-Tugola area last year. It said the incident resulted in the deaths of dozens of residents and the loss of cattle after they suffered severe diarrhoea caused by cyanide-contaminated water, without any investigations being conducted or those responsible being held accountable.
