Pieces of gum arabic displayed in a warehouse of an exporting company in Port Sudan, Sudan, in October.
Photographer: Eduardo Soteras/BloombergA Genocidal Militia in Sudan Controls a Key Ingredient in Coke and Pepsi
Gum arabic acts as an emulsifier in consumer goods and household brands around the world. A Sudanese militia that the US has accused of committing genocide controls essential parts of the supply chain.
For two years, Hisham Salih Yagoub has fielded calls from frantic drivers across wartorn Sudan asking him to pay thousands of dollars to the genocidal paramilitary group that has torn the country apart – extortion to get his truckloads of gum arabic to the port.
After it’s sorted in warehouses in Port Sudan, Yagoub’s gum arabic is sent to clients in Europe and the US. Gum arabic, a sticky tree sap, is an essential ingredient in everything from Coca-Cola to Danone yogurt to M&Ms. Sudan produces 70% of the world’s supply – and Yagoub’s company, Afritec, is one of the biggest suppliers.