Japanese companies resume mining operations in Sudan and plan to expand their investments
Sudan’s Ambassador to Japan, Al-Rayah Haidoub, met today (Thursday) at his office in Tokyo with the General Manager of the Sudanese-Japanese Mining Company (Nipoin), Mr. Akazawa Tokido, to discuss expanding the company’s gold investments and the possibility of acquiring new mining concessions.
The company began mining operations in Sudan in 2015 after signing a contract with the Ministry of Minerals, which allocated it a 300-square-kilometer concession in the Halfa region of northern Sudan.
Mr. Akaza confirmed that they began actual gold production at this site only at the end of October 2025, after overcoming many obstacles. He expressed his satisfaction with the commencement of production, outlining their future plans and preparations for expanding the project, and their desire to extend their investments to another area within the same region.
In the same context, the General Manager of the Japanese company indicated that they are scheduled to visit Sudan in June 2026 to finalize a contract with the Ministry of Minerals to begin gold exploration from the “Karta” ore deposit, following the issuance of an official license from the Ministry.
For his part, Ambassador Al-Rayah Haidoub affirmed the embassy’s readiness to provide all necessary support to ensure the success of their current project and to assist through communication channels to overcome any obstacles they may face, in cooperation with the Ministry of Minerals and the Geological Research Authority. He noted that the embassy will follow up on the arrangements for the visit to Sudan and work towards its success.
It is worth noting that the mission is working to attract more Japanese investment in gold mining and other mineral resources in Sudan. Arrangements are currently underway for a visit by another Japanese company that has confirmed its intention to invest in gold mining. A delegation from this company will also visit Khartoum in the middle of next month to sign a mining contract for another concession.
This success in attracting investment is one of the outcomes of a workshop organized by the mission as part of Sudan’s participation in Expo Osaka last year, in cooperation with the Geological Research Authority. The workshop was addressed by the Authority’s Director General, Dr. Ahmed Haroun.