An Investigation by Hassan Yusuf Zarma

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Overview

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are systematically selling gold to the UAE to finance their military operations in Sudan.

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1. The Primary Mining Site

The RSF is focused on a major mine stretching approximately 8 kilometers in North Kordofan state, near Jabal Zaraf and along the Abu Zima road — a vital RSF supply corridor in Kordofan.

Aerial imagery obtained from VistaMaps, dated March 20, 2025, reveals:

• Multiple aircraft runways (some damaged, likely due to accidents or airstrikes)
• Approximately 40 tunnels excavated on-site for gold extraction
• The close proximity of runways to mining sites enables the immediate transfer of gold via small or light cargo aircraft, bypassing official oversight

The objective is the direct export of gold to the UAE without obstruction.

This corroborates multiple reports indicating that the RSF controls major gold mining areas — particularly in Darfur and Kordofan — and uses makeshift runways near mines for aerial gold transport.

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2. Smuggling Methods

(Based on verified reports and international investigations)

The RSF controls a significant share of informal gold production, which constitutes the majority of Sudan’s total output. Most of this gold is smuggled through complex networks, with Dubai (UAE) as the primary destination for refining and international sale.

Common methods include:

• Direct air transport via unofficial runways near mines — as documented above — particularly in RSF-controlled areas such as Darfur and Kordofan
• Overland routes through neighboring transit countries: Chad, Libya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, or Egypt — followed by onward transport to the UAE by air or sea

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3. Estimated Value

Estimates indicate that the value of gold smuggled from RSF-controlled territories exceeded $850 million in 2024 and early 2025. Approximately 90% of smuggled Sudanese gold reaches the UAE, either directly or through intermediaries.

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4. The UAE’s Role

The UAE is the primary buyer of Sudanese gold — both official and smuggled — according to UN data and organizations including Swissaid and Chatham House.

There are allegations that this trade finances the RSF in exchange for military support in the form of weapons, mercenaries, and supplies.

The UAE denies military involvement; however, reports from The Sentry and UN panels link UAE-based companies to the laundering of smuggled gold.

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5. Visual Evidence

The map included in the source material (from VistaMaps) shows a desert area with clearly visible mining tracks, confirming intensive military-mining activity at the site.

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Conclusion

This activity is considered a core component of Sudan’s “war economy,” in which smuggled gold fuels the continuation of the conflict and compounds the humanitarian catastrophe.