EU foreign ministers have imposed a ban on Sudan’s gold trade in the bloc’s latest sanctions – as it seeks to block one of the main sources of funding for the central African country’s three-year civil war.
The ban on the purchase, import or transfer of gold originating in Sudan, which was announced in a statement on Monday (13 July) ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels the same day, also bans the sale, supply, transfer or export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan on the grounds that these chemicals are widely used for gold mining or gold exploitation.
Illicit gold smuggling has been one of the main sources of financing for the civil war, which started in April 2023.
“By restricting trade in Sudanese gold and limiting access to chemicals used for gold mining and gold exploitation, the EU aims to reduce the resources available to those responsible for perpetuating the violence,” ministers said in a statement.
In particular, the Rapid Support Forces, which now controls most of north and western Sudan, has been accused of funnelling billions of dollars worth of gold to the United Arab Emirates and Kenya to pay for weapons and mercenaries.
