Gold, Gum Arabic, and the Resource Curse: Why Sudan's Riches Keep Making It Poorer
Gold mined Gum harvested Processed abroad 80% of world gum arabic — third largest African gold reserves — exported raw, taxed minimally, processed elsewhere In 2011, South Sudan became independent and took with it approximately 75% of Sudan’s oil revenues. The Bashir government, which had built its entire fiscal architecture around oil — funding the military, buying political loyalty, subsidising fuel and bread to suppress urban discontent — suddenly faced a structural collapse. Oil revenues fell from $6 billion annually to under $500 million. The government needed a replacement. ...