Chinese Engineer Dies, Three Workers Injured in Bee Attack at Gold Site in Eastern Equatoria

Kapoeta – Al-Wadi Newspaper

A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday in Kapoeta South County, Eastern Equatoria State, where a Chinese engineer lost his life and three other workers sustained serious injuries following a bee attack during land preparation for a new gold exploration site.

In a statement to No. 1 Citizen Newspapers, County Commissioner Paulo Lokole confirmed that the incident took place while engineers from Nakeke Gold Mining Company Ltd. were constructing an access road to a new mining location. He explained that a bulldozer operator attempted to remove a tree that housed a large bee colony, which provoked the bees and led to an aggressive attack on the workers at the site.

Commissioner Lokole added that the three injured workers were transferred to Kapoeta Civil Hospital for treatment, while the bulldozer operator, who suffered the most severe stings, sadly passed away due to his injuries.

He further explained that the incident occurred in Lomelo Boma, under Longeleya Payam in Eastern Equatoria State. He noted that Nakeke Mining Company is a newly established entity owned by a Chinese businessman named Dr. Wang. The name “Nakeke” is derived from a local dialect commonly spoken in the Kapoeta region.

Following the incident, all operations at the new mining site have been halted. Lokole emphasized that the company had obtained all the necessary legal licenses and is the first officially registered mining company to commence operations in Kapoeta South County.

According to government data released in December 2023, the Government of South Sudan had issued 74 mineral exploration licenses, with 41 companies reported as active. However, some of these licenses have either expired or are under review for revocation. A number of these concessions are located in Eastern Equatoria State.

It is worth noting that previous local reports indicate the absence of large-scale industrial gold mining in South Sudan to date. Most current activity consists of artisanal (small-scale, traditional) mining carried out by local communities, while most foreign companies remain focused on exploration rather than full-scale extraction.