European Union bans gold imports from Sudan

The European Union has banned the purchase, transfer, and import of gold from Sudan, as well as the sale and export of mercury and cyanide to the country. The sanctions target the paramilitaries and the Sudanese army who have been fighting since April 2023. Brussels considers that the gold trade finances the belligerents. Sudanese gold is refined in Gulf countries before being sold on European and Asian markets, while the war has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world according to the UN.