The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) issued an alert on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, revealing that Sudan’s warring parties have been looting gum arabic and altering trading routes to finance the ongoing conflict. Gum arabic, a commodity used in soft drinks, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, is a vital source of income for approximately five million Sudanese.

Before the war erupted in April 2023 following the collapse of Sudan’s transition to civilian rule, the country accounted for about 70 to 80 percent of global crude gum arabic exports. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia reportedly looted stocks from a major trading center in El-Nuhud, West Kordofan, in May 2025, redirecting them westward to Darfur and Chad.

Security Council-appointed experts have documented that looted gum arabic has been transported along smuggling routes extending through Chad, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Between January and June 2024, at least 3,700 tonnes of gum arabic were looted by the RSF, used as compensation for fighters in the absence of salaries.

In addition to gum arabic, gold production remains a significant part of Sudan’s exports. In 2024, declared gold production in Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)-controlled areas was about 65 tonnes, with approximately 28 tonnes officially exported via Port Sudan, valued at around $1.6 billion, representing roughly 48.5 percent of Sudan’s total exports.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated, “Sudan’s vast wealth of natural resources should benefit its people. Distressingly, what we are seeing today is anything but that. This wealth is only serving to undermine human rights and drive conflict, bringing pain and suffering on an enormous scale.”

The UN alert underscores how the exploitation of Sudan’s natural resources is perpetuating violence and human rights abuses across the region.

Sources