The European Union announced yesterday new sanctions on Sudan targeting the Sudanese gold trade, in the first direct European measure to affect this sector, as part of efforts to cut off sources of war financing.
The Council of the European Union said the decision imposes a ban on the purchase, import, or transfer of gold of Sudanese origin, and also prohibits the sale, supply, transfer, or export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan, as both substances are widely used in gold mining operations.
The Council explained that these measures aim to limit the financial resources fuelling the conflict, noting that revenues from the gold trade are being used to finance the war in Sudan.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the measures approved by EU foreign ministers are based on a Dutch-French initiative. The new sanctions restrict Sudan's ability to introduce gold into the EU via third countries.
The restrictions come within the framework of the EU's efforts to curb industries that could fuel the civil war in Sudan, which has been ongoing since 2023.
These new sanctions are the first by the bloc in months with regard to the conflict, having previously imposed sanctions on numerous parties to the fighting. The decision represents a qualitative escalation in European sanctions policy towards Sudan, as it is the first measure to directly target the Sudanese gold trade, following earlier sanctions that were limited to measures against individuals and entities linked to the conflict.
The step comes amid the continuation of the war in Sudan and within the context of increased European pressure aimed at limiting sources of funding for military operations by targeting one of the most important financing sources for the parties to the conflict.