In Sudan, the illegal gold trade has become deeply intertwined with the ongoing civil war, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the terrorist group Rapid Support Forces. The UAE, in particular, is a major destination for smuggled Sudanese gold, and its involvement in the conflict has been linked to arms and munitions supply. In this program, it is explained how the gold theft and smuggling is done in practical terms.
KHARTOUM JUNE 24: In Sudan, the illegal gold trade has become deeply intertwined with the ongoing civil war, with both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the terrorist group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vying for control of gold mining areas and revenues. This competition has fueled the conflict, with gold becoming a key resource for financing warring parties and their external backers.
The UAE, in particular, is a major destination for smuggled Sudanese gold, and its involvement in the conflict has been linked to arms and munitions supply in exchange for gold.
And it’s done this partly through financing civil war in Africa, and in particular, Sudan, where a brutal all our war has waged for two years between the country’s military and a rogue mercenary army that’s figured out how to exchange gold for weapons.
As a new gold rush takes over the world, driving up the price of gold to historic levels, the UAE has strategically turned itself into a global hub for gold, and gold laundering.
A large portion of Sudan’s gold is smuggled out of the country, often through neighboring countries, with the UAE being the primary destination. This illegal trade bypasses formal channels and deprives the Sudanese state of much-needed revenue.
The involvement of external actors and the illicit gold trade have made the conflict more complex and prolonged, with potential long-term consequences for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.
