The war economy in Darfur: distorting trade and fuelling conflict

The purpose of the brief is to gain a deeper understanding of the links between trade and the war economy in Darfur.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 27 February 2026

• Country: Sudan
• Document Type: Briefing
• Theme: Governance and Conflict
• First published: 30 October 2025
• Authors: SPARC

Abstract

This brief aims to provide analysis of how the rapid support forces (RSF) gives preferential access to traders from its own constituencies, which results in negative consequences for many long-term established traders.

This work is part of the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises  (SPARC) programme.

Citation

SPARC. ‘The War economy in Darfur: distorting trade and fuelling conflict.’ Issue Brief, London, UK: SPARC, 2025

Links

The war economy in Darfur: distorting trade and fuelling conflict

Published 27 February 2026