The European Union has banned the purchase, import and transfer of Sudanese gold, in a significant move aimed at restricting the flow of revenue sustaining the devastating civil war in Sudan. The European Council announced the measures on Monday 13 July 2026, also prohibiting the sale, supply and export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan — chemicals essential to gold mining — while maintaining targeted exemptions for goods intended for humanitarian purposes, public health emergencies and disaster response.

Sudan, one of Africa's largest gold producers, has been torn by conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 28 million people facing acute hunger. Gold lies at the heart of the war economy: the RSF controls most goldfields in the western region of Darfur and the central region of Kordofan, while the SAF oversees production in the country's northern and eastern areas. According to UN experts, more than half — and by some estimates up to 70% — of Sudan's gold is smuggled out of the country each year. In 2024 alone, an estimated 40 tonnes left Sudan illegally, against just 31 tonnes exported through legal channels.

The illicit gold typically travels through neighbouring countries — Egypt, Chad and Libya — before reaching Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a major global hub for gold refining and trade. This trafficking route makes the trade exceptionally difficult to trace or disrupt. The EU's new restrictions expand an existing sanctions regime that has already targeted individuals and entities accused of fuelling the conflict.

However, analysts caution that the measures may have limited practical effect. The EU accounts for less than 10% of global gold imports, and an estimated 90% of Sudan's exported gold passes through Dubai, where no traceability mechanisms for the precious metal currently exist. Researcher Cameron Hudson has described the EU sanctions as largely symbolic, arguing that meaningful impact would require direct pressure on the UAE. Other experts broadly agree, warning that unless major international gold trading hubs and regional transit routes tighten enforcement against illicit Sudanese gold, sanctions alone are unlikely to halt the trade. The EU itself has acknowledged this, framing the ban as part of broader efforts to "increase pressure on those fuelling the war" — a signal that further diplomatic steps may be needed to translate intent into impact.