“South Sudan’s Stolen Gold: Rampant Smuggling Undermines National Wealth and Economic Future”

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South Sudan is endowed with vast natural resources, particularly gold, but much of its potential wealth is lost due to widespread smuggling and systemic corruption. A report by the international NGO SWISSAID reveals that the country loses at least five metric tonnes of gold annually, smuggled through Uganda to the UAE. These transactions largely occur beyond the reach of state oversight, highlighting the opaque and unregulated nature of the country’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.

Titled “On the Trail of African Gold,” the SWISSAID study conducted from 2021 to 2024 ranks South Sudan among the least transparent African nations in ASM governance. With minimal institutional control and no official production data, gold extraction and trade operate in secrecy, facilitating illegal exports without proper documentation.

This situation reflects a broader trend of gold trafficking across Africa. In 2022 alone, an estimated USD 30.7 billion worth of gold was smuggled from the continent. South Sudan’s government provides virtually no public data on gold production, compounding the loss and making accountability difficult.

The report echoes findings from a 2021 Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) study, which attributed gold sector dysfunction to weak oversight, corruption, and the involvement of organized crime—sometimes with links to political and military elites. For example, as of 2020, gold worth USD 110 million was exported via Uganda to the UAE, though experts argue this figure underrepresents the sector’s true capacity under proper regulation.

Recent incidents further underscore these challenges. In February 2025, a UAE-linked businessman allegedly smuggled 3.3 kg of gold samples out of South Sudan in violation of the Mining Act of 2012. Despite denials from the Ministry of Mining about any authorised permits, the case revealed significant gaps in enforcement.

South Sudan also sits within a wider East and Central African smuggling network that includes gold from conflict-ridden countries such as the DRC, CAR, and Sudan, destined for global markets like the UAE. These illegal gold flows often finance violent groups, deepening regional instability.

Despite the scale of the problem, South Sudan remains outside major international frameworks such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The absence of comprehensive mining legislation further weakens regulatory capacity, allowing smuggling networks to flourish.

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SWISSAID urges South Sudan and its regional partners to formalise artisanal mining, improve transparency, and establish robust legal frameworks. International collaboration will be essential to dismantling trafficking routes, ensuring gold revenues benefit the country’s development, and protecting miners and communities from exploitation.

South Sudan’s gold sector reflects a broader African paradox—immense mineral wealth coexists with economic fragility and regulatory failure. Addressing these systemic issues offers a path to not only curbing illicit trade but also building a more stable and prosperous future for the nation.