LOOTED GOLD AND GUM ARABIC FUNDING SUDAN WAR, UN WARNS

Looted gold and gum arabic exports are bankrolling Sudan's conflict, according to the United Nations. The UN has warned that both commodities continue to fuel the war, with gold extraction and gum arabic—a substance used in soft drinks, food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals—generating revenue for parties to the conflict. The organisation called on warring parties and corporations involved in the supply chains of Sudanese commodities to ensure compliance with international law.

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) characterised the extraction and sale of these resources as creating a "self-perpetuating" conflict. Gum arabic remains little-known internationally despite its widespread use across multiple industries. Both commodities represent significant export revenue sources, with their continued extraction and trade sustaining the financial capacity of combatants to wage war.

The UN's warning places responsibility on both armed parties and commercial entities operating within the value chains of these goods. The organisation's appeal for international law compliance targets both sides of the conflict and private corporations benefiting from Sudanese resource extraction. No confirmed timeline for enforcement action or further investigation has been announced.