Sudan is one of the most worrying conflict zones in the world today. During the past two years, war in Sudan has killed over 150,000 people and displaced another 12 million from their homes. There is a very serious humanitarian crisis here with the world’s first officially declared famine since 2020. 

What the world has been hearing most about Sudan in recent times is that the two military factions that suppressed the popular forces which overthrew the Omar al-Bashir dictatorship in 2019, have been engaged in a very destructive war against each other since April 2023. What the world has not heard much is that an important role in fuelling the conflict has been played by foreign forces which are motivated mainly by grabbing farmland and precious resources like gold. This neglected aspect has been exposed in a recent paper by GRAIN organization, which has a well-recognized worldwide reputation for its work on justice and sustainability aspects of food and farming. 

In this paper titled ‘Land and Power Grabs in Sudan’ (dated 11 March, 2025) GRAIN says,

“Both factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have committed mass atrocities against civilians and both are supported by foreign governments with interests in Sudan. The UAE has been more aggressive than any other outside actor. There is overwhelming evidence that it has played a major role in fuelling this brutal fight over resources, mainly by providing arms and other support to the RSF, which is accused of mass killings, sexual violence and ethnic cleansing against civilians. The UAE’s top interest is Sudan’s gold, but food is also a key priority. Over the past decade and a half, the country has been vying to seize control over farmland and water sources in Sudan to produce food for export.”

As the war raged, this paper tells us, two Emirati firms were farming over 50,000 hectares there. Shortly before the war broke out, a deal was signed between one of these companies and a group owned by one of Sudan’s wealthiest tycoons to develop an additional 162,000ha of farmland in Abu Hamad, in the north. This massive farm project, backed by the UAE government, will be connected by a 500km road to a new port on the coast of Sudan.

These deals, GRAIN informs us, are a part of about one million hectares of farmland that the Emirates has acquired around the world with a network of ports and logistics platforms, linked to security concerns as well. Much of this land is in Africa, where the UAE is now the largest source of foreign investment, GRAIN says. UAE companies have recently signed farmland deals with a long list of African countries that includes Egypt, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Angola. It’s become a major player in acquiring African lands and forests for carbon credit schemes too.

On the other hand, this paper adds, the resistance committees and neighbourhood councils that remain at the forefront of the struggles for justice have articulated a clear path for how to assert people’s control over their lands and food systems. This movement, known as the December Revolution, toppled the regime of Al-Bashir in 2019, but was violently suppressed by the SAF and RSF. Under the watch of these two military factions, the sell-off of Sudan’s farmland and resources continued setting the stage for today’s brutal war between them, says this analysis by GRAIN.

This important paper by GRAIN concludes,

“The conflict tearing up Sudan is a dramatic example of how agricultural investments, often draped in the language of ‘food security’, can be part of broader power plays working against the interests and rights of local communities. GRAIN affirms its solidarity with the people of Sudan. We support local communities in Sudan and elsewhere in their struggle to defend their lands, waters and food sovereignty against land grabbing by the UAE and other foreign powers.”

What this short but important paper by GRAIN has stated deserves wider attention as such important but neglected aspects of conflicts and wars need to be brought out more clearly not only in the context of Sudan but in the context of other wars and conflicts as well. This will not only help us to have a better understanding of the real situation, but in addition efforts aimed at peace will also benefit from knowing what are the complex factors at work, and what are the kind of forces that can become true voices for peace and welfare of people. It is not just a question of supporting one faction or the other in the ongoing conflict, rather it is a question of carefully identifying people and forces who are committed to peace, justice and genuine welfare of people.

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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, Man over Machine-A Path to Peace and A Day in 2071. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

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