The key ingredient Coca-Cola and M & M's is exported by smuggling from Sudan's war-Reuters

Gummiarabik-an important component used in the production of Coca-Cola, candies of M&M's, cosmetics L'Oreal and Nestlé products-became the subject of smuggling from Sudan's districts controlled by rebels. Reuters writes about this with reference to eight sources in the industry.

Sudan produces about 80% of the world hummiarabic. However, after the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023 and the capture of the regions of Cardofan and Darfur, a militarized RSF (rapid response forces) trade in this raw materials became more complicated. Now Sudanese traders can sell hummiarabic only for the RSF fee, and the product itself without certification is exported to neighboring countries - Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and Cameroon.

Gummiarabik, aka Arabian Comeda - a solid transparent resin consisting of dried juice of various types of acacia. Registered as a food additive E414. In the food industry it is used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, film -forming substance, moisture -maintaining agent, binding substance, structural former, glazicular, and so on.

Manufacturers note that now the market is flooded with a cheap hummiarabic of unknown origin. In some cases, merchants offer it at prices much lower than market, but without the necessary documents confirming the absence of connections with the conflict.

Some companies, such as Nexira and Ingredion, which are engaged in the primary processing of hummiarabic, have already begun to look for alternative supplies in other countries; Nestlé and Coca-Cola refused comments.

RSF says that it only protects the Humiarabica market, but Reuters sources claim that the group is charging “tax” for the export of products and uses this business to finance its operations. Now the raw materials are informally exported through border markets and ports of Kenya, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

One of the former business owners in Sudan found that Gummiarabik, stolen from him during the war, later appeared on sale on the Internet in the proprietary packaging of his company. He provided Reuters screenshot on Facebook.

Despite the growth of exports from Egypt, Kenya, Cameroon and South Sudan, a year after the outbreak of the Civil War in Sudan, the export of Gummiarabika fell to the EU.

The Civil War in Sudan began in April 2023 due to the struggle for power between the Sudanese army and the rapid response forces-a militarized organization that subordinated to the country's government until 2023. This happened before the planned transition to civilian government, after the actual leader of the country Abdel Fattah al-Burkhan, who ruled it after the 2021 military coup, quarreled with his deputy dagalo, as a result of which the latter left the transitional sovereign council (the temporary state body created after the coup).