After South Sudan’s peace deal collapsed, gun battles rocked the capital and soldiers ransacked his clothing store, Ahmed al-Nur faced the economic crisis in a trade that’s had an unexpected boost from the new wave of violence: gold. With inflation soaring and the currency collapsing, the precious metal that’s mainly extracted by artisanal miners in Africa’s newest nation is more highly prized than ever. At the same time, last year’s spread of armed unrest to Equatoria – a southern region that may be home to sizable deposits – has left authorities with little remit over mining. The result: a virtual free-for-all as miners and traders shrug off the risks of the three-year civil war and pile in.
