The European Union has banned all purchases, imports and transport of gold coming from Sudan, calling it a direct way to cut money flowing to fighters in the country’s civil war.
The war between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started in April 2023. It has displaced more than 14 million people and, according to aid agencies, left over 28 million facing acute hunger.
Sudan is one of Africa’s biggest gold producers, and rights groups say both sides now rely on it for cash. UN experts estimate more than half of Sudanese gold, and possibly up to 70%, is smuggled out each year. The RSF controls most mines in Darfur and Kordofan in the west and center. The army controls sites in the north and east. From there, gold often moves through Egypt, Chad and Libya before reaching Dubai, a major refining and trading hub.
Along with the gold ban, EU foreign ministers also approved restrictions on exporting mercury and cyanide to Sudan. Those chemicals are widely used in gold mining. Exports for humanitarian and public-health use are still allowed.
The EU Council said the measures are meant to “reduce the resources” available to those driving the violence and to increase pressure on conflict backers. The new rules add to existing EU sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to the war.
Analysts warn that an EU ban alone won’t stop the trade unless other major gold markets and transit countries also crack down on illicit Sudanese gold.
