A merchant pointing out bangles made from the product of nearby mines in the gold market of Omdurman, Sudan in this 2022 file photo. Famine and ethnic cleansing stalk Sudan. Yet the gold trade is booming, enriching generals and propelling the fight. — Photos: ©2025 The New York Times Company
AS Sudan’s cities burn and millions flee their homes, a clandestine gold trade is fuelling the conflict and enriching foreign powers.
In March, a luxury jet touched down in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, on a covert mission to transport illicit gold.
