EU bans gold imports from Sudan to curb money financing the war

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, Sudan's vast gold reserves have become a critical source of revenue for the warring parties ByWycliffe MuiaPublished1 hour agoThe European Union (EU) has banned the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan, saying the trade has become a key source of financing for the country's civil war that erupted in April 2023.The conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, forcing more than 14 million people from their homes. Sudan is one of Africa's largest gold producers and its vast reserves have become a crucial source of revenue for both sides, according to rights groups. EU foreign ministers approved the measures alongside a ban on exports to Sudan of mercury and cyanide, chemicals widely used in gold mining.The ruthless gold mercenaries who run SudanPublished20 July 2019A simple guide to what is happening in SudanPublished13 November 2025According to UN experts and other analysts, more than half - and by some estimates as much as 70% - of Sudan's gold is smuggled out of the country each year. The RSF controls most goldfields in Darfur and Kordofan - in the western and central areas of the country, while the Sudanese army oversees production in northern and eastern regions.The gold is often trafficked through neighbouring countries, including Egypt, Chad and Libya, before reaching Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major global hub for gold refining and trade."Gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the conflict in Sudan," the EU Council said in a statement, adding that the ban and other restrictions were designed to "reduce the resources" available to those responsible for perpetuating the violence."The measures are designed to curb sources of financing for the conflict and further increase pressure on those fuelling the war," it added. Under the restrictive measures, EU individuals and companies are prohibited from purchasing, importing or transporting gold originating in Sudan.Mercury and cyanide needed for humanitarian and public-health purposes are not subject to the EU's export ban.The latest restrictions expand a broader EU sanctions regime that has already targeted individuals and entities accused of fuelling the conflict. However, experts have warned that sanctions alone are unlikely to halt the trade unless major international gold trading hubs and regional transit routes also tighten enforcement against illicit Sudanese gold.International pressure has been increasing on the backers of this conflict to disengage as aid agencies estimate that more than 28 million people in Suan are facing acute hunger.More about the conflict in Sudan from the BBC:Are foreign powers exploiting Sudan?Published10 July 2019'I saw bodies dumped in Sudan mass grave'Published14 July 2023'Our job is only killing' - how Sudan's brutal militia carried out a massacrePublished7 November 2025'The weapons were loud, but there was always music': Sudanese band play on through the warPublished19 AprilGo to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, external, on Facebook at BBC Africa, external or on Instagram at bbcafrica, externalRelated topicsAfricaSudanBBC Africa podcastsFocus on AfricaThis Is Africa