There’s an old saying in Darfur that goes: Kalash au bilash; Kalash begim al kash.

Translation: “You’re trash without a Kalashnikov; get some cash with a Kalashnikov.”

My newest story at Slate.com is about a Darfur police corporal who stole millions without ever flashing a gun.

I hope you enjoy the story of Adam Ismael, his $180 million Ponzi scheme, and Omar al-Bashir’s economic war on Darfur. It’s the first installment in a four-day series on the coming breakup of Sudan. (And here’s a piece I wrote from Sudan in January during the south’s historic independence vote.)