EU bans gold imports from Sudan to curb money financing the war
Image: BBC News
The European Union has imposed a ban on imports of gold from Sudan, in a bid to choke off a major source of revenue that has been fuelling the country's brutal civil war. The measure targets one of the most valuable exports from a nation gripped by conflict since 2023.
Alongside the gold import ban, the EU has also restricted exports of mercury and cyanide to Sudan. Those chemicals are widely used in artisanal and industrial gold mining, and limiting their supply is intended to disrupt the production chain that sustains the trade.
Officials in Brussels said the sanctions are designed to deny warring parties the hard-currency earnings that have prolonged fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Both sides have been accused of profiting from gold sales to fund their operations.
The conflict has displaced millions of people and pushed large parts of the population toward famine. Human-rights groups have long warned that gold mined under conditions of exploitation is being laundered through international supply chains, and they welcomed the EU move as a meaningful step.
The ban forms part of a broader package of restrictive measures that the bloc says will be expanded if the warring factions fail to pursue a negotiated peace. Diplomats acknowledged, however, that enforcement will be challenging given the opaque nature of the global gold market.
The EU urged other major economies to adopt similar measures, warning that without coordinated action, Sudanese gold would simply be re-routed through third countries before reaching international buyers.