Zalingei – Sudan Now | January 21, 2026
Informed sources told Sudan Now that there are widespread suspicions of financial and administrative corruption at the office of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Central Darfur State, amid accusations that food assistance projects intended for civilians have been diverted into a financial resource benefiting the RSF militia.
According to the information, the organization implemented a support project for 150 bakeries in the city of Zalingei, in coordination with the so-called “Sudanese Relief Agency” and “the Ministry of Social Affairs”, both affiliated with the civilian administration run by the militia. The sources reported that 57 fully automated bakeries were allocated to individuals linked to the RSF, including units from its intelligence services, civilian administration, and affiliated humanitarian bodies.
According to the data, the actual implementation of the project began on January 20, 2026, with each automated bakery receiving 15 sacks of flour daily, meaning that the bakeries allocated to militia members receive 855 sacks of flour per day. Based on the average flour prices in Zalingei market during January (around 87,000 Sudanese pounds per sack), the daily value amounts to approximately 74.3 million Sudanese pounds, while the total support over two months exceeds 4.4 billion Sudanese pounds.
The sources indicated that the militia members are “monetizing” this support by selling the flour in the market and receiving the payments through electronic transfer apps, effectively turning the humanitarian aid -according to these reports- into a financial resource used for non-humanitarian activities.
Sudan Now extended a direct invitation to the office of the Norwegian Refugee Council to conduct a field visit documented with audio and video to verify the identities of the owners of the 150 bakeries registered under the project, and to compare them with the actual bakery owners in the city of Zalingei, amid what the sources describe as widespread manipulation of the records.
Local sources warn that such practices may be repeated in other states in West and South Darfur, potentially placing some international organizations under suspicion of indirectly partnering in prolonging the conflict by allowing aid to leak into military channels.
Sudan Now confirmed that it has requested an official comment from the Norwegian Refugee Council regarding these incidents and figures, but had not received any response by the time of publication, and affirmed its full readiness to publish any clarification or response as soon as it is received.
