Why the EU's sanctions on Sudan's gold trade are fundamentally flawed

For more than three years, Sudan has been trapped in a war that has shattered cities, emptied villages and pushed millions into displacement. Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in 2023, international diplomacy produced no shortage of conferences, ceasefire proposals and mediation initiatives. Yet each new round of negotiations has been overtaken by renewed violence on the ground. The human cost has continued to rise, with more than 150,000 people estimated dead, over 14 million displaced, and famine spreading across parts of Sudan.