According to UN experts and other analysts, more than half (and by some estimates up to 70%) of Sudan’s gold is smuggled out of the country each year.

The RSF controls most of the gold deposits in Darfur and Kordofan, in the western and central parts of the country, while the Sudanese army oversees production in the northern and eastern regions.

Gold is often trafficked through neighboring countries, including Egypt, Chad and Libya, before reaching Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a major global center for gold refining and trading.

“Gold has become a key source of income sustaining the conflict in Sudan,” the EU Council said in a statement, adding that the ban and other restrictions were designed to “reduce the resources” available to those responsible for perpetuating the violence.

“The measures are designed to curb the sources of financing the conflict and further increase pressure on those fueling the war,” he added.

Under the restrictive measures, EU individuals and companies are prohibited from purchasing, importing or transporting gold originating in Sudan.

Mercury and cyanide needed for humanitarian and public health purposes are not subject to the EU export ban.

The latest restrictions expand a broader EU sanctions regime that has already targeted individuals and entities accused of fueling the conflict.

However, experts have warned that sanctions alone are unlikely to stop the trade unless major international gold trading hubs and regional transit routes also tighten enforcement against illicit Sudanese gold.

International pressure has increased on supporters of this conflict to withdraw, as aid agencies estimate that more than 28 million people in Suan face acute hunger.