Nigeria, Oct. 8 -- Sudan's third civil war, which began in April 2023 between the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces, has reignited the illicit cross-border trade in vehicles. At the onset of the conflict, significant looting occurred in Khartoum and other major cities, primarily perpetrated by RSF members.

Looters frequently targeted the residences of people who fled Khartoum, Wad Madani and other places in Sudan, mostly seizing gold jewellery and vehicles. Specific values on car looting are hard to come by, but the price of property and goods plundered from mid-April to mid-July 2023 was estimated at $40 billion.

Although Sudan has now become a source of stolen vehicles, car theft and cross-border smuggling in ...