A recent investigation by the UN human rights office confirms that warring factions in Sudan are sustaining their operations through the illegal trade of gold and gum arabic. This report identifies these commodities as primary funding mechanisms for both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
Gum arabic, an acacia-derived product essential to the pharmaceutical and food industries, has become a target for exploitation. The UN reports that the Rapid Support Forces seized approximately 3,700 tons of the substance from a trading hub in El-Nuhud between January and June 2024, using the illicit stock to pay fighters instead of salaries. Historically, Sudan produced the vast majority of the world’s crude gum arabic supply.
Local traders face significant dangers, including extortion, arbitrary detention, and theft. Whether operating in regions controlled by the Rapid Support Forces or navigating routes to Port Sudan, merchants encounter checkpoints and illegal taxation. UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated that the nation’s natural wealth is currently being weaponized rather than serving the population. The agency is now calling on the international community to monitor these trade routes and interrupt the financial networks that perpetuate the violence.
