Africa: All of Africa Today - July 15, 2026

EU Bans Sudan Gold Imports to Curb War Funding The European Union has banned purchases, imports, and transfers of gold from Sudan, as well as exports of mercury and cyanide used in gold mining, in a bid to starve a key source of revenue for the country's civil war. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has displaced more than 14 million people and left over 28 million facing acute hunger. The EU said the sanctions aim to reduce the financial resources sustaining the war, as much of Sudan's gold, much of it allegedly smuggled through neighbouring countries to global trading hubs, is believed to bankroll both sides of the conflict. Experts have warned that sanctions alone are unlikely to halt the trade unless major international gold