The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have authorised the resumption of gum arabic exports from West Darfur to neighbouring Chad, reversing restrictions imposed on cross-border shipments last year, according to sources cited by Darfur24.
The sources said RSF authorities in West Darfur informed gum arabic traders that new directives had been issued allowing the commodity to be transported to neighbouring countries.
Exports are expected to pass through the border area of Adikong, close to the Adré crossing between Sudan and Chad. Traders have already begun preparing shipments for transportation through the route, the sources said.
The RSF had prohibited the export of gum arabic across Sudan’s western borders in September 2025, issuing instructions preventing traders from moving the commodity into neighbouring countries.
A gum arabic trader told Darfur24 that merchants had now been formally notified that exports could resume, opening the way for shipments from West Darfur into Chad.
The trade remains subject to several levies and administrative charges, including fees imposed by the West Darfur Ministry of Finance’s border trade administration, as well as taxes and zakat payments.
Adikong has long served as an important commercial link between West Darfur and Chad, facilitating the movement of goods and generating revenue through customs and other cross-border charges.
Gum arabic is one of Sudan’s most important agricultural exports and a major source of income for producers and traders across the country’s western regions. The reopening of the Chad route could provide traders in West Darfur with greater access to regional markets as Sudan’s war continues to disrupt traditional supply chains and export routes.
