Black market brew: Sudan conflict reshapes Kenya tea exports
Lorries line up to offload at the Gathuthi Tea Factory in Nyeri County, Kenya on June 15, 2024. Traders say neighbours of conflict-torn countries have seen a surge in demand for tea.
Sudan’s ongoing war now poses a greater risk of increased smuggling in the region, depriving Khartoum of the revenue it needs from formal businesses.
This week, the Sudanese Armed Forces have stepped up the pace of retaking Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). But the wider danger of the war, now in its third year, is how it could affect formal trade with countries such as Kenya, which has traditionally sent the most tea to Khartoum of any country in the Horn of Africa.
