UN experts and analysts estimate that between 50% and 70% of Sudan’s annual gold production is smuggled out of the country. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control the majority of goldfields in Darfur and Kordofan, while the Sudanese Armed Forces oversee production in the north and east.
This illicit supply chain typically moves through neighboring states such as Egypt, Chad, and Libya before reaching Dubai, a primary global hub for gold refining and trade. “Gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the conflict in Sudan,” the EU Council stated, explaining that the new restrictions aim to “reduce the resources” available to those perpetuating the violence.
The measures prohibit EU individuals and companies from purchasing, importing, or transporting gold originating in Sudan. Exemptions apply to mercury and cyanide required for humanitarian and public-health purposes. These latest restrictions expand an existing EU sanctions regime targeting individuals and entities accused of fueling the war.
However, analysts caution that sanctions alone are unlikely to halt the trade unless major international gold hubs and regional transit routes simultaneously tighten enforcement against illicit Sudanese bullion. International pressure on the conflict’s backers continues to mount as aid agencies warn that over 28 million people in Sudan now face acute hunger.
