Much of Sudan’s Formal Economy is in Ruins

Vast swathes of Sudan face famine on a scale the world has not seen in decades. The war, which pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against a paramilitary group from the western region of Darfur known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has devastated the country’s industrial base. The central bank lost most of its reserves when the RSF attacked and looted it, according to Burai Sidig Ali, the bank’s governor. The banking system has mostly ceased to function. In Port Sudan, where perhaps 250,000 people have fled from the country’s civil war, essentials are scarce, and prices are stratospheric. Yet Kinza, a sugary drink similar to Coca-Cola and manufactured in Saudi Arabia, is abundant.

THE ECONOMIST