Gold as a resource of war in Sudan: Governance and the power struggle
The 2023 Sudan conflict ignited a severe humanitarian crisis exacerbating deep-rooted issues related to resource management. Over the years, gold in particular has become a significant factor in militarizing Sudanese politics, driven by conflicting military and civilian interests. Witnessing revenue...
Gardado en:
| Publicado en: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/echogeo, |
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| Autor Principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
| Publicado: |
EchoGéo
2025
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| Sujets: | |
| Acceso en liña: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Résumé: | The 2023 Sudan conflict ignited a severe humanitarian crisis exacerbating deep-rooted issues related to resource management. Over the years, gold in particular has become a significant factor in militarizing Sudanese politics, driven by conflicting military and civilian interests. Witnessing revenue loss following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, the government pushed to centralize gold production while opening the door for military and political factions. In reality, gold mining, particularly artisanal, expanded dramatically, but with significant social, economic, and environmental costs. Despite efforts for political reforms after the 2019 revolution that ousted Omar al-Bashir, military and political elites continued to dominate the sector. The hybrid model of gold mining, wherein artisanal labor feeds corporate production, reinforced the entanglement of military groups in resource extraction. This dynamic has exacerbated conflicts, fueled by struggles over land ownership and resource control. Centralized policies introduced by the government often clashed with local governance structures, leading to disputes and competition for resource allocation, especially through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mechanisms. Ultimately, gold mining in Sudan has deepened the country’s political instability, fostering multiple centers of power and triggering the April 2023 conflict. The ongoing militarization of the mining sector highlights the complexity of Sudan’s political economy, where resource control and governance are tightly linked to violence, power struggles, and regional commercial interests. |
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