Sudan central bank monitors foreign currency use in RSF-controlled border areas
June 21, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s central bank is closely monitoring currency exchange operations in border areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a central bank official told Sudan Tribune.
The monitoring comes amid a sharp monetary division in the war-torn country. Sources said that extensive bartering of goods and services for currencies of neighbouring countries is taking place in these regions.
Transactions are reportedly being conducted using the Chadian franc, the South Sudanese pound, and the U.S. dollar. This shift followed the army-led government’s decision to change the national currency in areas under its control.
The anonymous central bank official stated that the cancelled old currency notes circulating in the RSF areas are no longer legal tender. The government will not recognize them in its territories.
Even if individuals transport these old denominations to government-controlled areas, they will not be exchanged or accepted, the official added.
The central bank in Port Sudan initiated the currency change for the 500 and 1,000 pound notes last November. The measure aimed to address liquidity looted by the RSF, which reportedly exceeds 400 trillion pounds, and to prevent the funding of an independent parallel economy.
The RSF rejected the move and banned the new printings in its territories, leading to a severe monetary split.
In response to the government blockade, the RSF civil administration announced steps to build a parallel banking system. This includes establishing the “Future Bank” or Currency Council, as well as digital financial applications to bypass Port Sudan’s administrative authority.
Hasab al-Nabi Mahmoud, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement-Democratic, an ally of the RSF, told Sudan Tribune that establishing an integrated banking system and issuing a new national currency in RSF areas has become an urgent necessity.
Mahmoud accused the government of stripping citizens of their basic rights, including passports and nationality, and stated that the new administration is committed to guaranteeing these rights.
Economic expert Haitham Mohamed Fathi warned that the situation in the Darfur region reflects the emergence of a dual economy. The RSF is running parallel financial systems that include collecting customs, paying salaries, and circulating unapproved banknotes.
Fathi noted that the scarcity of the Sudanese pound has created alternative markets in Darfur where various foreign currencies are traded. This has reduced the local currency’s centrality and led to market chaos, price disparities, and commercial exploitation.
Analysts warn that Sudan is now divided into two monetary zones.
Government-controlled areas use the new currency, where liquidity is available but inflation is high due to shortages of goods from production regions. Meanwhile, RSF-controlled areas hold old notes that are rapidly losing purchasing power and hold no legal value in government territory.