BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) has announced a ban on the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan in a fresh effort to disrupt funding sources fueling the country’s devastating civil war.
The new sanctions, approved by EU foreign ministers, also prohibit the export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan two chemicals widely used in gold mining.
The measures are aimed at reducing financial support for the rival factions battling for control of the northeast African nation since conflict erupted in April 2023.
Sudan is one of Africa’s leading gold producers, with its vast mineral wealth becoming a major source of income for both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
International rights groups and United Nations experts have repeatedly warned that revenues generated from gold mining and smuggling have helped sustain the conflict, which has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The war has displaced more than 14 million people, while thousands have been killed and millions more face severe food shortages and limited access to healthcare.
By banning Sudanese gold imports, Brussels hopes to weaken the financial networks supporting both sides of the conflict.
The EU’s latest sanctions also restrict exports of mercury and cyanide, chemicals essential for extracting gold, in an effort to further disrupt mining operations linked to armed groups.
Officials say the measures are part of broader international efforts to reduce the flow of money financing the war.
According to United Nations experts and independent analysts, more than half of Sudan’s gold production—and possibly as much as 70 percent—is smuggled out of the country each year.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly control many of the country’s richest goldfields in the western regions of Darfur and Kordofan, while the Sudanese military oversees mining activities in northern and eastern Sudan.
Much of the illegally traded gold is believed to pass through neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Chad, and Libya, before reaching Dubai, one of the world’s largest centres for gold refining and international trade.
The conflict between Sudan’s military government and the RSF has devastated communities across the country, forcing millions to flee their homes and leaving humanitarian agencies struggling to deliver aid.
The United Nations has repeatedly described the Sudan crisis as one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement emergencies, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
The EU said the latest sanctions demonstrate its commitment to supporting international efforts to end the conflict and reduce the financial resources available to the warring parties.
