EU bans Sudan gold trade, blocks mercury, cyanide exports

The European Union announced new sanctions on Monday, July 13, targeting Sudan's gold trade in an effort to cut off a major source of funding for the country's ongoing civil war. The measures, approved by EU foreign ministers in Brussels, ban the purchase, import, or transfer of gold originating in Sudan and prohibit the sale or export of mercury and cyanide to the country, chemicals essential for gold extraction.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The war has displaced millions, split the nation, and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. As Sudan's formal economy has collapsed, illicit gold smuggling has emerged as a principal revenue stream for both warring sides, financing weapons and sustaining the violence. The EU's sanctions aim to target this economic base by restricting both the gold itself and the means to produce it, while also seeking to close indirect routes for Sudanese gold to enter the bloc via third countries.

This latest package builds upon a broader EU sanctions framework established in October 2023, which...