ISBN:  Unavailable

Category: Political Science / Public Policy / Agriculture & Food Policy

Page count: 33

<p>This study assesses the political economy of the conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and</p><p>the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that brought out in April 2023, resulting in massive violence, displacement, and threats to food security. Based on a series of key informant interviews and other secondary</p><p>materials, this study identifies that the primary underlying driver of the conflict relates to the rise of competition between the SAF and RSF over productive resources, including within the agri-food system.</p><p>This scenario has been facilitated by a longstanding lack of scrutiny, accountability, and transparency</p><p>over the distribution of economic rents and commercial holdings between the two factions. Additionally,</p><p>the capture of rents from different industries and resources has been a key contributor to the geographic expansion of the conflict. As the conflict continues to rage between the two groups and their</p><p>associates, it continues to impose considerable impacts on different actors within the agri-food system,</p><p>posing significant challenges to the planting season and crop production, introducing blockades of trade</p><p>routes, and a near cessation of agro-processing. We discuss these aspects of the ensuing conflict in</p><p>view of the uncertainty about political and economic developments and propose policy recommendations for rebuilding Sudan’s agri-food system holistically under different scenarios.</p>