Hoe jouw cola indirect de oorlog in Soedan financiert | Zembla

Summary

The documentary investigates whether gum arabic used in everyday products may be indirectly financing Sudan’s civil war. Gum arabic is a valuable, hard-to-replace ingredient used as a binder, thickener, foam stabilizer, and coating agent. Because substitutes may require several ingredients and may not perform as reliably, products can be difficult to reformulate.

Sudan is a major source of gum arabic, particularly high-quality gum. Since fighting began in April 2023, armed groups have reportedly looted gum stocks, coerced farmers and traders, and collected money at checkpoints. Investigators describe gum being smuggled into neighboring countries, where traders can obtain documents that present Sudanese gum as locally sourced. Trade data and satellite imagery show increased exports and activity near border areas, though the documentary does not establish the provenance of every shipment.

Business and Supply-Chain Findings

• The supply chain is long and opaque. Gum can pass through farmers, local traders, agents, processors, and international importers before being blended into bulk shipments. This makes it difficult for downstream companies to identify the original farm or region.
• Border paperwork may not prove origin. A trader provided investigators with a South Sudan Chamber of Commerce certificate that was stamped and signed but blank. Traders said such documents could be completed with details for smuggled gum.
• Transport itself creates conflict exposure. Traders described payments, bribes, or taxes at checkpoints controlled by different armed parties. One source recounted encountering about 25 checkpoints on a three-hour journey.
• Importers and buyers take different approaches to transparency. Some companies declined interviews or did not provide substantive answers. One major importer, Alland & Robert, said it could guarantee that its Sudanese purchases had not benefited armed groups, but declined to provide traceability documentation, describing it as commercially sensitive.
• A fair-trade model offers a contrasting example. Entrepreneur Martijn Bergkamp visited Sudan in 2019, set up a small business, and built a cleaning facility near farmers. His company bought directly from farmer cooperatives to improve prices and traceability. It received its first container in the Netherlands in January 2023. The war began in April, making the model unsafe and difficult to continue.
• The ingredient’s commercial importance complicates sourcing decisions. The documentary says gum arabic is difficult to replace without changing product formulations. The EU has sanctioned Sudanese gold, but not gum arabic. The programme reports that concerns about economic impact and industry lobbying have contributed to the absence of a gum-specific ban.
• Legal and reputational exposure extends beyond direct suppliers. A sanctions lawyer and other experts argue that European buyers should investigate direct and indirect suppliers, product origin, and who controls the trade. The programme frames this as heightened human-rights due diligence—not business as usual in conflict-affected areas.

Practical Due-Diligence Playbook

• Map the full supply chain, including brokers, agents, processors, and transport routes—not just the immediate supplier.
• Verify country and regional origin with supporting records; do not treat a trader’s declaration or a stamped document alone as proof.
• Assess whether sourcing or transport payments could benefit armed groups or sanctioned parties, including through checkpoint fees and extortion.
• Reassess sourcing when conflict conditions change, and consider pausing purchases where credible origin verification is not possible.
• Ask suppliers for evidence of traceability and independent checks. If they cannot provide it, treat that as a material supply-chain risk.
• Evaluate alternatives early, while recognizing that reformulation may require multiple ingredients and product testing.

Metrics and Timelines Mentioned

• Sudan accounted for 70–80% of global gum arabic production for years; the programme also describes about 80% of the highest-quality gum as coming from Sudan.
• The war began in April 2023. Bergkamp’s first container reached the Netherlands in January 2023.
• The documentary reports a sharp rise in gum exports from neighboring countries after the war, which investigators say is difficult to explain through rapid growth in local acacia production. The subtitles give no exact export-growth figure.
• The RSF is described as having approximately 100,000 members.
• Satellite research documented a 57-kilometre earth berm around El Fasher, illustrating the wider conflict setting in which supply chains operate.
• No company revenue, margin, price, CAC, LTV, or other conventional commercial KPIs are provided.

Presenters and Sources

The programme is a Zembla investigation. Featured sources include entrepreneur Martijn Bergkamp; gum expert Elem Musa; Joris van de Zand of PAX; Volker Türk of the United Nations; investigative researcher Sebastian van der Meer; sanctions lawyer Sebastian Benink; glue manufacturer Steven de Jong; and representatives or statements from Nexira, Alland & Robert, and the gum-industry organization AIPG.

A food-science professor also explains gum arabic’s product functions but is not identified by name in the subtitles.