By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir
Newly issued Sudanese pounds have started circulating in areas held by a paramilitary group opposing the national army, raising questions about the origin of the currency and potentially worsening the country’s de facto split.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which previously collaborated with Sudan’s armed forces before their falling out and the onset of war in April 2023, now controls extensive territories, including the vast western Darfur region.
Last year, the RSF established a parallel administration, dubbed the “Tasis” government, in the regions under its control and has gradually taken over functions such as paying civil servant salaries.
Since 2024, control of Sudan’s currency has been a flashpoint, after the army‑led government declared the old Sudanese pound invalid and introduced new 500‑ and 1,000‑pound notes.
The RSF denounced the new notes as illegal, and cash became increasingly scarce in its territories, according to four residents interviewed by Reuters.
BRAND NEW NOTES
That shortage eased in late May when civil servants and RSF fighters received payment in Sudanese pounds—an uncommon occurrence in RSF‑held areas. Residents described the notes as new and unused, bearing a May 2022 date, according to a photograph shared with Reuters.
Reuters could not verify the source of the notes, which closely resemble pre‑war banknotes. However, a banker in Nyala, the Darfur city that hosts the Tasis administration, said the notes appeared to be freshly printed.
Adding to the mystery, the notes carry the signature of Hussein Yahia Jangol, Sudan’s pre‑war central bank governor, who was appointed head of the new Tasis‑run central bank on May 21, just before the notes emerged.
Tasis Prime Minister Mohamed Hasan al‑Taishi stated that authorities continue to recognize pounds issued prior to June 2024.
He declined to comment on the origin of the new notes, but said that any cash‑management or liquidity arrangements are guided by ‘well‑considered technical plans designed to maintain economic stability and meet the needs of citizens and markets.’
Taishi accused the army‑led government of harming civilians ‘by changing the currency, drying up markets, and using the currency as a weapon of war.’ The army‑aligned central bank did not respond to requests for comment.
The RSF—accused by Sudan’s military of receiving financial and military backing from the United Arab Emirates, a claim denied by the UAE—may struggle to gain international recognition for its central bank. Suliman Baldo, head of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker think tank, noted that many nations would be hesitant to accept a parallel monetary system.
“But they are moving forward… because they face a real problem they must resolve,” he said.
With cash in short supply, many Sudanese have turned to Bankak, an online payment platform operated by the Bank of Khartoum and used across front lines, although high fees can make it more costly than cash.
In RSF‑controlled areas, a rival transfer service, Future Bank, has emerged this year and was used to pay at least some May salaries, residents reported.
Since the outbreak of war, the Sudanese pound has plummeted, weakening in recent weeks to over 5,000 pounds per dollar, compared with less than 600 before the conflict.