Sudan war economy fuelling self-perpetuating conflict, UN human rights office says

The United Nations human rights office has said Sudan's war economy is helping sustain a conflict that has become self-perpetuating. The assessment frames the fighting as being driven not only by battlefield gains, but also by economic incentives that have emerged during the war. It comes as Sudan's conflict, which began in April 2023, continues to reshape the country's political and economic landscape.

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According to the supplied material, the report is a current assessment of the conflict's drivers and argues that wartime economic activity is reinforcing the violence. The conflict has pitted the regular army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and both sides have been linked in the supplied material to control over resources. The earlier material also said gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the war.

The issue matters because it suggests the conflict may be harder to resolve if armed actors continue to benefit from the economy of war. Sudan is one of Africa's largest gold producers, and the supplied material says gold has been central to financing the conflict. That has already prompted international concern, including European Union restrictions on Sudanese gold imports aimed at reducing funding for the war.

The broader background is a war that has already created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and displaced more than 14 million people, according to the supplied material. The conflict economy described in the rows includes trafficking routes through neighbouring countries and trade links that can move Sudanese gold beyond the country's borders. That makes the war not only a domestic security crisis, but also a regional and international economic and regulatory issue.

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The supplied material also indicates that the Rapid Support Forces control most goldfields in Darfur and Kordofan, while the Sudanese army oversees production in northern and eastern regions. Rights groups have said Sudan's mineral wealth has become crucial to both sides. In that context, the UN human rights office assessment adds to a growing body of concern that resource control is helping prolong the war.

The latest development follows the European Union's move to ban the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan, alongside restrictions on mercury and cyanide exports used in mining. Those measures were presented as part of a wider effort to cut off revenue streams that sustain the conflict. The new UN assessment reinforces the view that financial pressure is now central to any attempt to alter the war's incentives.

What remains unclear is how far the war economy extends beyond gold and how effective existing restrictions will be in practice. The supplied material does not give details of any immediate policy response from Sudanese authorities or the armed factions. What to watch next is whether the UN assessment leads to further sanctions, tighter enforcement, or new diplomatic pressure on the parties to the conflict.

The European Union has banned the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan in a move aimed at cutting off a major source of funding for the country's war. The decision was approved by EU foreign ministers and also includes a ban on exports to Sudan of mercury and cyanide, chemicals widely used in gold mining. The measures are intended to reduce the resources available to those prolonging the conflict.

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The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 and has pitted the regular army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. According to the supplied material, the war has driven one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and forced more than 14 million people from their homes. The EU said gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the conflict, and the new restrictions are designed to increase pressure on those fuelling the violence.

Sudan is one of Africa's largest gold producers, and rights groups say its reserves have become crucial to both sides in the war. The Rapid Support Forces control most goldfields in Darfur and Kordofan, while the Sudanese army oversees production in northern and eastern regions. The gold is often trafficked through neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Chad and Libya, before reaching Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which is described in the material as a major global hub for gold refining and trade.

The move matters because it targets a strategic resource that has helped sustain the conflict economy. The supplied material says more than half of Sudan's gold, and by some estimates as much as 70%, is smuggled out of the country each year. That makes enforcement difficult and means the impact of the ban may depend on whether regional transit routes and major international trading hubs also tighten controls.

The EU Council said the restrictions are part of a broader sanctions regime that has already targeted individuals and entities accused of fuelling the conflict. Under the new rules, EU individuals and companies are prohibited from purchasing, importing or transporting gold originating in Sudan. Mercury and cyanide remain exempt when needed for humanitarian and public-health purposes, according to the supplied material.

The latest measures come amid continuing international concern over the war's financing and its humanitarian toll. The material says experts have warned that sanctions alone are unlikely to stop the trade without stronger enforcement beyond the EU. What remains unclear is how quickly the restrictions will affect smuggling networks and whether other jurisdictions will follow with similar steps.

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