Hommam Al Nassim 
An investigation published by the “Wall Street Journal” revealed that the continued use of gum Arabic from Sudan by international companies contributes to financing the ongoing conflict in the country.
Sudanese traders pay between $60 and $330 to the parties to the conflict to ensure that trucks pass safely in the areas of clash, especially in the city of El Obeid in Kordofan state.
The newspaper reported that the worsening political and humanitarian crisis in Sudan has not prompted many major companies to take serious steps towards reviewing their policies on importing gum Arabic, as the French company Nexera, which has a large share of the global market for gum Arabic, temporarily suspended its activities but quickly resumed receiving shipments.
On the other hand, the newspaper indicated that the Dutch company FOGA Gum announced the suspension of all its commercial activities in Sudan, indicating that the source of gum Arabic is behind its decision, because it does not want to cooperate with any of the parties to the conflict.
Sudan is one of the most important sources of gum Arabic, followed by countries such as Chad and Niger, and it is used in many industries such as the food industry as a stabilizer and emulsifier, and in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and it is extracted from acacia trees, especially of two types, Senegalese acacia and Acacia sial acid, and gum Arabic is also known to be rich in water-soluble fiber, which makes it useful in many health and nutritional uses.
The Sudanese army declares its intention to continue military operations (video)