gold fever

Sudan: Why gold and war don’t mix

By Yara Rizk

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Posted on May 3, 2023 14:13

© A jewellery craftsman holds a piece of gold in the palm of his hand at the Sudanese capital Khartoum’s gold market in its downtown district on June 20, 2019. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) — A jewellery craftsman holds a piece of gold in the palm of his hand at the Sudanese capital Khartoum’s gold market in its downtown district on June 20, 2019. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)

In 2022, Sudan’s gold exports reached almost $2.5bn, equivalent to about 42tn sold. This was good for almost 45% of national exports before the tables turned the following year in response to the war. Between the gold rush and disillusionment, we delve into the accounting.

With gold deposits in the northeast, central and Darfur regions, Sudan is the third largest African country – after South Africa and Ghana – in terms of known gold resources on the continent.

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