Economic chaos fuels gold mining rush in Africa’s newest nation

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.

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