EU bans gold imports from Sudan to curb money financing the war

The European Union has announced a ban on gold imports from Sudan in an effort to cut off the flow of money financing the country's war. The measure responds to long-standing concerns that revenue from the gold trade has been fueling the conflict among warring parties.

The same regulation also restricts exports of mercury and cyanide to Sudan, chemicals widely used in gold mining and seen as critical inputs for sustaining mining operations.

The move is being viewed as part of broader international pressure targeting the financing sources of the civil war between the RSF and the Sudanese army. How the EU will monitor enforcement of the ban, and how regional states respond, will prove decisive in the period ahead.