Fuel, Weapons, and Food: Smuggling Activities Between Darfur, Libya, and Chad
Moatinoon
Source: alwasat.ly
The ENACT Project, an index monitoring organized crime, reported a significant boost in the "war economy" in Sudan, leading to increased activity in illicit markets along its borders with Libya and Chad. It revealed that 500,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel are smuggled weekly through the route of Kufra city to areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Funded by the European Union, ENACTs Tuesday report uncovered new facts about the illicit economies in the region, which have thrived due to Sudans internal conflict.
The report highlighted that over 10 million civilians have been displaced within Sudan or fled to neighboring countries. Sudans economy is in ruins, its business hubs have turned into battlegrounds, and half the population suffers from severe hunger, with famine emerging in Darfur.
Rise of Illicit Markets
According to ENACT, the war has fueled regional illicit market activities, which have largely gone undiscussed. Civilians and fighters have turned to smuggling networks for basic necessities. Illicit trade has especially flourished in historically marginalized border areas between Chad, Libya, and Sudan.
Food, fuel, and weapons are particularly significant among the goods smuggled across Sudans northern and western borders.
The report noted that food smuggling into Sudan predates the war, but the conflict has exacerbated the phenomenon. Recent research by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime found a noticeable increase in secret food movements (e.g., rice, pasta, flour, sugar, and cooking oil) over the past eight months, driven by growing hunger in Sudan.
Interviewees stated that food smuggling along Sudans border areas is largely decentralized, with many relatively small-scale smugglers operating routes between southern Libya, northern Chad, and northwestern Sudan.
Fuel Smuggling
Like food, fuel smuggling along Sudans borders is not new. A massive trade in smuggled gasoline and diesel from eastern Libya into Sudan existed even before the war. This trade was reportedly controlled by the "General Command" forces and the RSF. The disruption of legitimate fuel supplies in Sudan due to the conflict has further increased the value and scale of this trade.
The investigation found that a key route runs through eastern Libya, where Libyan actors smuggle fuel from depots to southern Kufra city and onward to areas controlled by Sudanese armed groups. One source estimated that 500,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel are smuggled weekly via this corridor.
Emergence of a New Smuggling Route
Over the past year, a new smuggling route has emerged between southwestern Libya, northern Chad, and Darfur in western Sudan. This route is now more organized and controlled by Libyan and Sudanese actors, particularly the RSF.
ENACT also drew attention to arms trafficking, which it described as the most militarily dangerous illicit market across war-fueled borders. Most international reports focus on arms smuggling into Sudan by countries supporting either the RSF or the Sudanese army.
Decentralized Arms Trade
A more decentralized arms trade has also emerged, primarily concentrated along the Chad-Sudan border. It relies on weapons and ammunition already available in Libya or other regional conflict zones.
However, in the tri-border region, the seizure of four trailers loaded with imported weapons—smuggled via Benghazi Port and destined for Chad—highlighted the risks of international trafficking routes.
The report noted that arms smuggling across the Chad-Sudan border operates bidirectionally. Sudanese smugglers export stolen or abandoned weapons from Sudanese armed forces in Darfur to networks in eastern Chad, which then transfer them to other regional markets. This highlights the development of other significant smuggling markets, including for stolen vehicles, looted consumer goods, and cannabis.
Increase in Human Trafficking
ENACT identified an increase in human trafficking along Sudans borders, predominantly affecting refugees fleeing to neighboring countries. Legal and safe migration pathways have diminished over the past 20 months, leading to the expansion of human smuggling networks or the development of new routes along the Egyptian, Libyan, and Chadian borders. The conflict has effectively revitalized and reshaped Sudans human smuggling networks and those in neighboring countries.
Experience from other regional conflicts, particularly Libya, shows that shifts in illicit markets and war economies can have lasting impacts long after ceasefires are established, according to ENACT.
Recommendations for Combating the Phenomenon
ENACT provided several recommendations to tackle this phenomenon early. Fighters increasingly rely on smuggled weapons and fuel to sustain the conflict, while smuggled food remains crucial for feeding starving civilians. Understanding these illicit flows could help warn international actors of emerging risks and assist in crafting appropriate responses.
The conflict has also led to increased overlap between illicit actors and government entities. While the war has caused the collapse of the Sudanese state, interviewees indicated that smuggling often occurs with the knowledge and protection of RSF, Sudanese armed forces, and officials in neighboring countries.
Officials with financial stakes in the war economy may be reluctant to pursue peace. Even with a relatively swift end to the conflict, addressing illicit economies is unlikely to become a priority for Sudan.
Regional Consequences
The report warned of regional consequences, as the empowerment of illicit markets and criminal networks linked to Sudans conflict could exacerbate corruption and weaken governance capacities in neighboring countries. Weapons currently smuggled into the region may, in the foreseeable future, fuel instability and violence.
Looking ahead, the report emphasized the importance of focusing on the conflict-driven economy and its connections to regional markets. It suggested targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on key members of criminal networks fueling Sudan’s war economy. This could deter political and commercial elites in the region from further engaging in such illicit economic flows.
