RSF impose trade embargo on Egypt
Decision threatens Sudan's own economy and humanitarian efforts
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) recently issued a directive prohibiting the transportation of goods from areas under its control to territories held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), where exports traditionally move through to Egypt. The RSF accuses Egypt of supporting the SAF in the ongoing conflict. The ban targets key Sudanese exports such as gum arabic, peanuts, cooking oil, and gold, commodities critical for trade with Egypt and other markets.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, accused Egypt on October 10, hours before the directive dated October 8 was released, of backing the Sudanese army and contributing to civilian deaths through air bombardments. Egypt denied the allegations, then referred to Daglo as a “militia” commander.
Although the directive did not specifically name Egypt, it effectively targets the SAF-held northern regions through which Egypt imports Sudanese goods from Darfur, Kordofan, and Al Jazira, which are rich in agricultural and mineral resources. While the decision is expected to have minimal impact on the Egyptian economy, it is likely to have significant implications for Sudan’s economy and ongoing humanitarian efforts.
RSF leaders have however described the embargo as a challenge to Egyptian influence in Sudan. Major General Mek Abushutal, RSF commander for Blue Nile State, stated in an October 12 remark via pro-RSF Al-Hagiga channel that the ban was enacted due to Egypt’s alleged intervention in Sudanese affairs, including bombing civilians. He instructed RSF-controlled areas to redirect exports to countries other than Egypt, such as Ethiopia and Libya, warning that traders who continue dealings with Egypt would face “harsh punishment.”
“Egypt is bombing Sudanese villages, cities, and neighborhoods repeatedly. We now consider Egypt an enemy state,” he said, adding that any trader exporting to Egypt would face severe consequences. He directed resources to be exported to neighboring nations except Egypt, asserting that Egypt is an adversary to Sudan and other neighbors such as Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Chad.
He argued that transporting goods to SAF-controlled areas, particularly the Northern region, is tantamount to supporting an “enemy.” The RSF has frequently criticized Sudan’s northern elites for exploiting the nation’s resources at the expense of marginalized communities. Since the war began, the RSF has referred to the government as the “56 state,” referring to the dominance of northern elites since Sudan's independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956.
Abushutal accused Egypt of systematically destroying Sudanese infrastructure, including factories and public services, and collaborating with Sudanese political factions to maintain control. “Since April 15, 2023, Egyptian planes have destroyed Sudanese infrastructure, factories, bridges, fuel stations, and power plants,” he stated, adding that Egypt’s “agents” in Sudan, belonging to various political parties, are perpetuating this influence.
The RSF general framed the current conflict as one between marginalized Sudanese groups in the west and south of the country, and Nile Valley elites, who he claims have retained privileges since independence. “Now the war is clearly between the marginalized, who have been oppressed for sixty-eight years, and the Nile North elite,” he said, alleging that Egyptian air raids continue to target Sudanese villages.
Al-Basha Tabiq, an advisor to the RSF commander, emphasized the historical context of the conflict, linking Egypt's actions in Sudan to its longstanding territorial ambitions.
He stated on X on October 10 that “what Egypt did in terms of destroying the infrastructure of factories, bridges, and civilian institutions of the Sudanese state is considered a natural extension of Egypt's position towards Sudan throughout history. Egypt now occupies Hala'ib, Shalateen, and Umm Ramad, and yet it wants Sudan to be a backyard under Egyptian sovereignty to benefit from its raw resources to support its economy. It is time to stop all Sudanese exports to Egypt, and the options are open to deal with the Egyptian file.”
Impact on Sudanese citizens
While the immediate effects of the RSF embargo on goods transport to SAF-controlled areas are uncertain, it’s expected to exacerbate hardship in a nation already facing economic devastation and mass displacement due to conflict. Agricultural activity in Al Jazira and Sennar, Sudan’s fertile regions, has largely ceased amid violence and RSF-SAF clashes.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that nearly 120,000 people have fled Al Jazira over the past ten days, straining resources in neighboring states like Al Gadaref. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also stated that the displaced require urgent support, including food, shelter, safe water, and sanitation services.
Following the embargo’s announcement, hundreds of trucks in North Darfur State were turned away at the Northern State border. These trucks were carrying raw materials that are rebranded in Egypt for resale in European and Gulf markets, according to Sudanese economic observers.
According to Radio Tamazuj, East Darfur resident Adam Mohamed Abkar reported that the ban has inflicted “severe harm” on vulnerable groups in RSF-controlled Darfuri regions. Cargo loaders, who rely on daily market work, have lost their income. Cargo loader Adam Khalid Mohamed said they are “among the most affected” and are “struggling to afford food and water.”
In South Darfur, farmers argued the embargo should have been implemented alongside measures to support local production, such as foreign exchange markets and trading platforms. They noted that traders involved in inter-regional crop trade have been impacted, with trucks turned away due to road closures. Crop prices have dropped sharply; for instance, a sack of peanuts in Nyala now sells for 5,000 Sudanese pounds, while the cost of an empty sack has risen to 1,500 pounds. Grain prices have also plummeted.
Al Arabiya reported last week that traders in RSF-held areas complained of the export ban’s impact on their businesses, forcing them to sell products at a loss and closing businesses.
In River Nile State, an unidentified trader reported a rise in meat prices, with people resorting to frozen imports from Egypt. While other commodity prices haven’t yet surged, he expects increases “within the next few weeks.”
In Eastern Sudan, prices have spiked, which local trader Al-Sheikh Abdallah Ismail attributed to the instability in Al Jazira, where intensified RSF-SAF fighting has driven thousands of residents to seek refuge in Al Gedaref. In the Red Sea State, tobacco prices have notably risen as a result of disruptions in Darfur supplies.
For instance, in Wadi Ashar, the local tobacco trade chamber posted a price increase from 800 to 1,500 Sudanese pounds for a small bag.
VIDEOS
In the below video published online on October 12, 2024, Abushutal warns that traders caught transporting goods to Egypt “will face the harshest and most severe penalties.”
In the video below filmed on October 13, 2024, an RSF combatant traveling to Khartoum reported encountering around 60 heads of camels being “smuggled to army-controlled areas.” According to the person filming, the camels were stopped at Sari village in Koma Locality, North Darfur. He stated that the owner had been taken to a local station for “questioning.”
In the undated video below, a trader expresses frustration after being turned back several times by the RSF. Several trucks can be seen in the video, appearing to have been turned away. The location where the video was filmed is unknown.
Below is the copy of the embargo decree obtained by Sudan War Monitor that has been widely circulated on Sudanese social media.
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