Armed conflict in Sudan has disrupted the production and export of gum arabic, a critical natural resin and one of the nation's most valuable exports [1, 2].
This disruption threatens global supply chains for industries relying on the resin and provides a financial lifeline to the warring parties. Because the commodity is central to both the Sudanese economy and international trade, its instability creates a ripple effect across global markets.
Sudan produces around 80% of the world’s gum arabic [3]. The resin is harvested from acacia trees cultivated primarily in the central and western states of the country [2, 3]. These regions have become focal points of instability as the civil war, which intensified in 2026, continues to impact the landscape [1, 4].
Harvesting and processing have been severely hampered by armed fighting, looting, and general insecurity [3, 5]. The transport of the resin from rural production sites to export hubs is now fraught with risk, making it difficult for producers to maintain steady volumes. These logistical failures jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of producers and exporters who depend on the trade [1, 2].
United Nations officials said that the trade of this commodity is not only being disrupted but is also fueling the violence. Revenues from gum arabic, along with looted gold, are being used to bankroll the conflict [3, 5]. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle where the resources of the land fund the very fighting that destroys the industry's infrastructure [4].
International observers said that the war economy has shifted the flow of these goods. While production is hindered, the remaining exports are often diverted through channels that benefit the armed parties involved in the struggle [3, 4].
“Sudan produces around 80% of the world’s gum arabic”
The weaponization of gum arabic trade illustrates how natural resources can sustain protracted civil wars. Because Sudan holds a near-monopoly on the global supply, the conflict creates a dual crisis: a global shortage of a necessary industrial stabilizer and a financial mechanism that allows warring factions to bypass traditional economic collapses, prolonging the violence.
