Published on 15/07/2026 – 9:01 GMT+2
Sudan’s warring factions are leveraging control of the nation’s natural resources to finance a conflict that the United Nations says is being sustained by a war-driven economy, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
To finance escalating military expenses, the conflicting parties depend on the control and exploitation of territory, trade routes, and commodities, a dynamic that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) describes as increasingly self‑perpetuating.
The war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.
Estimates put the death toll at around 200,000, with more than 11 million people displaced, and large swathes of Sudan now face acute hunger and famine.
OHCHR has urged both warring parties and corporations linked to Sudanese commodity supply chains to adhere to international law.
“Sudan’s extensive natural wealth ought to serve its population,” declared UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
“Disturbingly, the opposite is true: this wealth is eroding human rights and fueling the conflict, inflicting widespread suffering on an unprecedented scale,” he added.
“The war economy must be disrupted, and the international community needs to closely monitor the commodities and trade routes that sustain it,” he asserted.
Gum arabic trade
OHCHR released a report examining the gum arabic trade, a crucial component in soft drinks, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Prior to the conflict, Sudan supplied 70‑80 % of global crude gum arabic exports. Although its export value is modest compared with other commodities, gum arabic provides vital income for millions of Sudanese and remains one of the country’s most important international exports. The report documents numerous cases of looting, extortion, arbitrary detention and threats against those dependent on the trade, often perpetrated by the warring parties and their allies.
In May 2025, the Gum Arabic Exchange and its warehouses, along with part of the local market in El‑Nuhud, West Kordofan, were reportedly looted by the RSF while stockpiles were full and ready for export, severely disrupting local trade and livelihoods.
Türk called on nations to enhance accountability, traceability and regulatory oversight, and to uphold human rights. “Companies cannot continue business as usual when sourcing from conflict‑affected value chains,” he said.
