EU Bans Sudanese Gold Imports to Curb War Financing

The new measures also prohibit the sale, supply, transfer, and export of mining chemicals, including mercury and cyanide, to Sudan.

In a statement, the EU said gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the conflict and that the restrictions are intended to reduce the financial resources available to those responsible for perpetuating the violence.

Sudan is Africa’s fifth-largest gold producer, with annual output estimated at 74.6 tons, according to the World Gold Council.

Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have sought control over gold-producing regions and trade networks since the outbreak of the conflict.

A 2024 report by the UN Panel of Experts found that more than half of Sudan’s gold production is smuggled out of the country, with illicit trading networks playing a significant role in financing the war economy.

Sudan’s conflict erupted following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.