According to Nam News Network, Sudan is Africa's third-largest country by area and remains one of the continent's top gold producers. However, most gold is extracted through artisanal and small-scale mining operations, which lack proper safety measures and often use hazardous chemicals, resulting in severe health risks for miners and nearby communities. Before the war pushed 25 million Sudanese into acute food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, based on industry figures.

Today, mining experts indicate that much of the gold produced by both warring factions is smuggled through Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt before reaching the UAE, which is currently the world's second-largest gold exporter.