Fresh Sudanese pounds are suddenly showing up in paramilitary territory, and nobody’s saying where they came from. The mystery cash could push Sudan’s de facto split even further.

There’s a new twist in Sudan’s war economy. Freshly printed Sudanese pounds have started circulating in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group locked in battle with the national army since April 2023. And it’s raising a big question: where did the notes come from?

The RSF and Sudan’s armed forces used to work together. Now they’re at war, and the RSF runs large parts of the country, including the vast western Darfur region.

Last year, the RSF set up its own parallel cabinet, called the Tasis government, in the areas it controls. Bit by bit, it’s been taking on state functions, including paying civil servant salaries.

Currency has been a flashpoint since 2024. That’s when the army led government declared old Sudanese pounds invalid and started rolling out new 500 and 1,000 pound notes. The RSF immediately said those new notes were invalid in its territory. Since then, cash has been hard to come by in RSF held areas, according to four residents who spoke to newsmen.

That changed in late May. Suddenly, civil servants and RSF fighters got paid in Sudanese pounds — something that hasn’t happened much in these areas. Residents described the notes as new and unused. A photograph shared with newsmen showed they were dated May 2022.

Tasis Prime Minister Mohamed Hasan al Taishi said authorities still recognise pounds issued before June 2024. He wouldn’t comment on the origin of the new notes. But he said any arrangements related to cash management or liquidity provision were based on well thought out technical plans aimed at maintaining economic stability and meeting the needs of citizens and markets.

Taishi accused the army led government of hurting civilians by changing the currency, drying up the markets, and exploiting the currency as a tool of war. The army aligned central bank did not respond to requests for comment.

The RSF, which Sudan’s military says gets financial and military support from the United Arab Emirates, may find it tough to get international recognition for its own central bank. The UAE denies the charge. Suliman Baldo, head of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker think tank, said many countries would be reluctant to accept a parallel system.

“But they are moving ahead because they have a real problem they need to resolve,” he said.

With cash scarce, many Sudanese have turned to Bankak, an online payments app run by the Bank of Khartoum. It’s used across front lines, but high fees can make it more expensive than cash.

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