The UK has sanctioned those suspected of being linked to financing, procurement, and commercial networks fuelling Sudan conflict.
UK announces Sudan sanctions package targeting illicit gold and finance networks sustaining the war
UK calls for UN arms embargo to cover El Obeid as city on the precipice of major atrocity
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says UK will tackle those fuelling the conflict.
The UK has today announced sanctions targeting the conflict gold trade in Sudan, procurement networks and financial facilitators that are fuelling Sudan's war.
Sudan's booming gold industry is the engine of its war economy. While official gold exports were worth $1.5 billion in 2024 and 2025, the true value of the sector is estimated to be several times higher, with billions of dollars' worth of gold smuggled out of Sudan each year through illicit channels, helping finance weapons procurement, military operations and the activities of armed groups.
These measures target eleven individuals and entities suspected of being linked to the financing, procurement and commercial networks supporting the RSF or the SAF and fuelling Sudan's conflict. All are Sudanese but they trade internationally including in the gold markets in Dubai and Hong Kong.
At the centre of the package is Sudanese national Abu Dharr, suspected of being a notorious RSF financier and procurement facilitator. He is suspected of having helped fund and sustain RSF operations from beyond Sudan's borders through a web of real estate, conflict gold, and holding companies based in Dubai.
Vast quantities of Sudanese gold continue to be monetised before entering global markets, making it a critical gateway for revenues generated by Sudan's illicit gold sector.
By targeting these companies and facilitators, the UK is exposing and disrupting key commercial networks that help convert Sudan's gold wealth into revenue that sustains the conflict.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
"The people of Sudan continue to pay the price for a war fuelled not only by guns and fighters, but by illicit flows of gold and finance to fill the war chests on both sides. These sanctions are targeting Sudan's war economy and they will shine a light on those who seek to profit from these illegal shadow networks.
"As the world watches the deeply alarming build-up around El Obeid, we continue to call on the RSF to halt their assault. And we are making clear that those enabling atrocities, from the battlefield to the boardroom, will be held accountable."
The sanctions come as the UK and international partners are on red alert, monitoring the deteriorating situation in El Obeid, where the RSF is building up surge forces around a city already under immense humanitarian pressure.
The UK has warned that El Obeid is at risk of becoming the scene of another mass atrocity, following the horrors witnessed in El Fasher. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for the UN arms embargo to be extended to reach El Obeid.
Illicit gold will be a priority theme at the UK's Illicit Finance Summit, due to take place in London in December 2026. The Summit will bring together governments, civil society and the private sector to build an international coalition to tackle flows of dirty money around the world, including the trade in illicit gold.
