Sudan's natural riches, far from benefiting the population, are helping to fund a conflict that is becoming increasingly entrenched. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is warning of a "war economy" that enables the belligerent parties to profit from their control over resources, territories, and trade routes.
"Businesses cannot continue to operate as if nothing is happening when they source from value chains affected by conflict," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. "This war economy must be dismantled, and the international community must pay far greater attention to the commodities and trade routes that help sustain it."
The report focuses in particular on the trade in gum arabic, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of a wide range of products, from soft drinks to cosmetics and medicines. Before the outbreak of war in 2023, Sudan accounted for 70 to 80 percent of global exports of raw gum arabic.
According to the OHCHR, communities that depend on this activity are exposed to looting, extortion, arbitrary detention, and threats, including from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies. In May 2025, the El-Nuhud gum arabic exchange in West Kordofan State, along with its warehouses full of stocks destined for export, were reportedly looted by the RSF, severely disrupting local trade and livelihoods.
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