A shocking new investigation has revealed how record-breaking global gold prices are fuelling Sudan’s bloody civil war, with billions of dollars in gold revenue flowing directly into the coffers of the country’s warring factions.
According to a Financial Times report, Sudan produced an estimated 80 tonnes of gold last year, valued at over $6 billion, propelling it into the ranks of Africa’s top four gold producers. Remarkably, this surge in output came despite the devastating conflict that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
But the boom in gold is doing more than just boosting production—it is bankrolling bloodshed.
More than 50% of Sudan’s gold is reportedly smuggled, with much of it flowing through the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Experts say the race to control the country’s gold mines has become a central driver of the conflict, which has already claimed over 150,000 lives and forced 12 million people from their homes.
“The industry supports the livelihoods of up to a million people, but ultimately those resources are being extracted to destroy the country,”
— Ahmed Soliman, Chatham House
Gold has become Sudan’s main export since the oil-rich south split from the country in 2011. The country’s mining ministry now says gold accounts for 60% of export earnings in areas held by the SAF. Yet, much of Sudan’s mining remains in the shadows: an estimated 90% of gold production is artisanal, conducted in small, informal operations.
Despite the chaos, larger commercial mines are still active, particularly in Darfur’s Sungo region, which remains under the control of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, and his family. That mine, according to analysts, continues to be a critical source of income for the RSF—even as the U.S. imposed sanctions on related entities.
Investigative trade data shows that mining chemicals from China, the UAE, and Germany were shipped to Sudan over the past two years—raising serious questions about international complicity in sustaining the war economy.
“With the rise in gold prices, there has been a gold rush in places where gold is mined illegally,”
— Sasha Lezhnev, The Sentry
While both the U.S. and Europe have attempted sanctions, experts warn these efforts have been piecemeal and ineffective.
“Sanctions have been ad hoc,” Soliman said, urging for coordinated international action to dismantle the armed networks profiting from the mineral trade.
What was once a vital economic resource for Sudanese livelihoods has become the currency of conflict, leaving a nation in ruins and its people paying the price in blood.
