With no cash, Sudanese turn to barter and credit

Surviving in Sudan these days means going back to basics: With the banking system in ruins after more than two years of war, barter and IOUs have become the only way for many people to secure the essentials.

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"I haven't held a banknote in more than nine months," said civil servant Ali in Dilling, South Kordofan state.

The town has been besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been battling the army since April 2023.

In Dilling, as elsewhere, clothing and household appliances are sometimes used as currency to exchange for a couple kilos of flour or rice, or a few litres of fuel for vehicles or generators. "I once exchanged a hoe and a chair for three bags of sorghum," a staple cereal in many parts of Africa, said Ali, 33. With no cash and much of Sudan under a total communications blackout, many people like Ali are resorting to the barter system.

"Motorcycle and tuk-tuk (motorised tricycle) drivers are given oil and soap as payment for fares," said Al-Sadiq Issa, a local volunteer contacted by AFP.

"Some families offer corn, flour or sugar in exchange for things like vehicle maintenance," he added.