The civil war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), quickly devolved into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The persistence and destructive power of this conflict are rooted in a complex regional resource network, specifically the trade of gold, which provides the primary financial fuel for both warring parties. However, the international community’s engagement with this crisis has been profoundly affected by a stark divergence in global attention, particularly following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023. The war in Sudan is thus characterized by two tragic realities: its economy is sustained by illicit gold flows, and its suffering is overshadowed by other global narratives.
Gold, Sudan’s most valuable commodity, has proven to be the lifeblood of the war machine. Both the SAF and the RSF established sophisticated financial networks, including dedicated mining and trading companies, long before the war began, making the control of gold assets a core driver of the current hostilities. The majority of this wealth comes from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), which, due to its decentralized nature, is easily exploited and smuggled. The revenue generated from this resource is immediately converted into foreign currency used by both sides to procure weapons, pay militias, and sustain their military operations. This arrangement creates a powerful economic incentive for the conflict to continue, effectively translating Sudan’s national wealth into the means of its own destruction.
The flow of this conflict gold points overwhelmingly to one destination: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), specifically Dubai, which has become a primary global hub for unrefined African gold. While official export figures are high, estimates suggest that the actual amount of gold smuggled out of Sudan and destined for the UAE is significantly greater—possibly up to 90% of total production, amounting to billions of dollars. This illicit trade network involves transit countries like Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan, deepening Sudan’s conflict into a regional ecosystem. The transparency issues within Dubai's gold supply chain, despite regulatory claims, allow this conflict gold to be laundered into the global market. For external actors, like the UAE, this trade provides both economic benefit and political leverage, turning them into critical, albeit controversial, external players in the conflict's longevity.
This economic driver, so central to the war, has nevertheless struggled to capture sustained global media attention, particularly in comparison to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The war in Sudan, characterized by vast geography, an unreliable information environment, and a media blackout preventing international journalists from accessing conflict zones like Darfur, failed to generate the sustained, emotional connection with global audiences. However, when the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, media resources and public discourse rapidly pivoted. The Gaza conflict became the focal point of global news, drawing intense, continuous coverage, often fueled by highly personalized, emotional content disseminated via social media. For the Sudanese crisis, this shift was detrimental, causing an immediate and dramatic decline in mainstream news reports and public interactions, effectively pushing Sudan’s humanitarian disaster out of the international spotlight and leaving its ongoing tragedy largely forgotten.
The war in Sudan demonstrates the devastating intersection of resource exploitation and unequal media attention. The flow of conflict gold through the UAE remains the primary mechanism sustaining the violence between the SAF and RSF, ensuring the war is financed regardless of international sanctions or diplomatic efforts. Simultaneously, the profound shift in media focus towards the Gaza conflict since late 2023 has deprived the victims in Sudan of the sustained international pressure and humanitarian aid necessary for resolution. To address this crisis, the international community must not only pursue peace negotiations but also implement rigorous accountability measures on the global gold trade that continues to fund the bloodshed.