David Pratt

Sudan’s civil war has become intertwined with a rapidly expanding illicit captagon trade that supplies fighters with the stimulant known as “chemical courage” while providing armed groups, particularly the RSF, with a major revenue stream. After Syria’s crackdown on captagon production, expertise and manufacturing shifted to Sudan, where both RSF and SAF fighters reportedly use the drug. The RSF’s control of production sites and involvement in multiple illicit economies has made the trade a structural part of its finances, contributing to prolonged conflict and atrocities, including genocide in El Fasher. Analysts warn that Sudan is becoming a new global hub for synthetic drug production, increasing instability and reducing incentives for peace as drug profits grow.