The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has escalated its warning regarding the financing mechanisms of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, identifying the gum arabic trade as a critical revenue stream for warring factions.
According to reporting from Dabanga Sudan, experts now characterize gum arabic as the second most significant source of war finance in the country, trailing only looted gold.
The UN agency states that armed groups are systematically looting and taxing the gum arabic supply chain to fund military operations.
This development underscores the deep entanglement of Sudan’s agricultural exports with the civil war, complicating efforts to isolate the conflict economically.
The trade, which is vital for the global food and pharmaceutical industries, is being leveraged by combatants to sustain their campaigns.
Gum arabic, a natural gum formed from the hardened sap of acacia trees, is a key ingredient in soft drinks, confectionery, and pharmaceuticals.