Story perspectives

UN Urges Traceability as Gum Arabic Fuels Sudan War

7/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

The UN office warned Sudan’s gum-arabic trade finances the war and called for disruption of the war-economy.
Since the April 2023 army-RSF war killed about 200,000 people and displaced 11 million, gum arabic—70-80 percent of crude exports—funds sides via ports and smuggling.
After the RSF looted the Gum Arabic Exchange in West Kordofan in May 2025, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk urged governments to enforce traceability and human-rights safeguards on Sudanese supply chains.

History

Historical Context

After the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1171 on 5 June 1998, it barred Sierra Leone’s rough-diamond trade to cut the RUF’s estimated $200 million yearly funding, a step reinforced by resolutions 1306 (2000) and 1446 (2002). Today, High Commissioner Volker Türk warns Sudan’s gum-arabic, which makes up 70-80 % of its crude exports, similarly fuels the army-RSF war, prompting calls to replicate the diamond-sanctions model.

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Story summary

The UN office warned Sudan’s gum-arabic trade finances the war and called for disruption of the war-economy.
Since the April 2023 army-RSF war killed about 200,000 people and displaced 11 million, gum arabic—70-80 percent of crude exports—funds sides via ports and smuggling.
After the RSF looted the Gum Arabic Exchange in West Kordofan in May 2025, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk urged governments to enforce traceability and human-rights safeguards on Sudanese supply chains.

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