Key Coca-Cola and Pepsi ingredient 'controlled by RSF paramilitary in Sudan'
Gum arabic, an organic emulsifier derived from the sap of the acacia trees, is a major ingredient in a range of products, including the gigantic soft drink brands as well as soap, medicine, sweets and cosmetics.
Around 70 percent of the world's supply comes from Sudan, where the trees grow in a 200,000 square mile belt across the south of the country that is largely controlled by the RSF, according to Bloomberg.
Hisham Salih Yagoub, whose company Afritec is one of Sudan's biggest international suppliers, told the news outlet that he regularly pays the RSF $2,500 per truck to allow transport of the product to the country's ports.
'They stop the trucks and you have to pay for the trucks to move,' he said.
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'They either steal some of it or they make you pay.'
Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a brutal civil war between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The country has fallen into a humanitarian crisis, with 12.5 million Sudanese displaced from their homes, according to UNHCR. Thousands are estimated to have been killed.
The RSF has been accused of widespread sexual assault, looting, torture and the summary execution of civilians, while the SAF has also been censured for indiscriminate bombing campaigns.
Sudan's biggest self-described 'jihadi' group says it will disband once RSF defeated Read More »
According to documents acquired by Bloomberg, the SAF has also introduced a range of fees that amount to roughly $155 per 100kg of gum arabic being sent out of Port Sudan, meaning any transportation of gum arabic out of the country likely involves payment to groups accused of war crimes.
Bloomberg said it did not receive a response to inquires put to Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Danone over the gum arabic controversy.
Nestle said it was 'committed to sourcing all our commodities in a responsible way, and in line with applicable regulatory requirements," while Mars said it did it not tolerate bribery or corruption and was 'actively engaging with our suppliers regarding the deeply concerning situation in Sudan and we remain prepared to take any appropriate action if we find any violation of our policies."
Coca-Cola and Pepsi have recently also faced a widespread boycott in the Middle East over the US role in supporting Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, as well as the former's reported factory in the illegal West Bank settlement of Atarot.
According to market researcher NielsenIQ, western soft drink brands suffered a 7 percent sales decline in the first half of 2024 across the Middle East.
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