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Sudan’s warring factions are profiting from control over the country’s resources, with the “war economy” helping to sustain the conflict, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
To fund the growing cost of military operations, the warring parties rely on controlling and exploiting territory, trade routes and commodities, contributing to a conflict that has become “increasingly self-perpetuating,” the UN human rights office OHCHR said.
The war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.
It has killed 200,000 people by some estimates and displaced upwards of 11 million, while thrusting several areas of Sudan into hunger and famine.
OHCHR called on the parties to the war, and corporations involved in the value chain of Sudanese commodities, to ensure compliance with international law.
“Sudan’s vast wealth of natural resources should benefit its people,” said UN rights chief Volker Türk.
“Distressingly, what we are seeing today is anything but that. In fact, this wealth is only serving to undermine human rights and drive conflict, bringing pain and suffering on an enormous scale.
“This war economy must be disrupted and the international community must pay much closer attention to the commodities and trade routes that help keep it alive.”
Gum arabic trade
OHCHR issued a report focusing on the trade in gum arabic, a key ingredient in products such as soft drinks, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Sudan accounted for 70-80% of global crude gum arabic exports before the war.
Although modest in export value compared with other commodities, it is an important income source for millions of Sudanese, and remains one of the country’s most internationally relied-upon exports.
However, the report found that many who depend on the gum arabic trade have faced looting, extortion, arbitrary detention and threats, particularly at the hands of the parties to the conflict and their allies.
In May 2025, the Gum Arabic Exchange and its warehouses, plus part of the local market in El-Nuhud in West Kordofan state, were reportedly looted by the RSF when stocks were full and ready for export.
This severely disrupted local trade and livelihoods, the report said.
Türk urged countries to strengthen accountability, traceability and regulatory oversight and respect human rights.
“Companies cannot continue business as usual when sourcing from conflict-affected value chains,” he said.
Additional sources • AFP