U.S. senators urge Biden to step up action on foreign funding of Sudan conflict

December 17, 2024 (WASHINGTON) – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has urged President Joe Biden to take more decisive action against foreign entities fuelling the ongoing civil war in Sudan, citing the role of illicit gold trading in financing the conflict.

In a letter to Biden, Senators Mark Warner, Jim Risch, Chris Coons, Todd Young, Cory Booker, and Mike Rounds expressed deep concern about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged since April 2023. The conflict has reportedly killed tens of thousands, potentially exceeding 100,000, and left more than 25 million in need of aid.

The senators highlighted reports that foreign entities, including those in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia, provide weapons and financial support to the warring parties. They specifically focused on the role of Sudan’s illicit gold trade.

“We are deeply concerned that Sudan’s illicit gold trade enables lucrative revenue streams that perpetuate the documented atrocities and worsens the devastating humanitarian crisis in the country,” the senators wrote.

Sudan, a major African gold producer, has a multi-billion dollar gold industry. The RSF controls key gold mines, including those in Jebel Amir. The senators noted that the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have established dominance over Sudan’s gold trade, using “front companies and banks based in Sudan and the UAE” to finance weapons and other activities.

The senators pointed to the UAE as a central hub for smuggled Sudanese gold entering global markets, citing reports that Emirati companies received over 2,500 tons of illicit African gold worth approximately $115 billion between 2012 and 2022. They also noted concerns about money laundering vulnerabilities in the UAE’s gold sector, despite the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list” earlier this year.

The letter further linked Sudanese gold smuggled through the UAE to Russia’s Wagner Group, alleging that these funds support Wagner’s operations in Africa and Russia’s war in Ukraine, undermining international sanctions.

Senator Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has been a vocal advocate for increased U.S. support for Sudan. He has previously called for Temporary Protected Status for Sudanese individuals in the U.S., urged greater humanitarian aid, and pushed for the appointment of a Special Envoy to Sudan, a position now held by former U.S. Representative Tom Perriello. Warner also co-introduced the Sudan Accountability Act and has maintained engagement with the Sudanese diaspora.