Sudan Says Official Gold Exports Surge After Smuggling Crackdown

Khartoum, August 9, 2026 - Sudan's official gold exports over the past six months matched the total officially exported in all of 2025, Minister of Minerals Nour al-Dayem Taha said after a meeting with Prime Minister Kamel Idris. Taha attributed the increase to new controls intended to curb smuggling and route more production through formal banking channels.

Sudan's Security and Defence Council recently announced dedicated courts for gold smuggling cases and banned military and paramilitary forces from mining areas to reduce illicit trading. Gold remains Sudan's top foreign exchange earner, but smuggling has long deprived the state of revenue.

Official figures show Sudan produced 70 tons of gold last year, while the Central Bank recorded only 14 tons in official exports. Taha said the prime minister backed a broader strategy to regulate artisanal mining, supervise mineral markets and secure national output.

The effort is central to state revenue collection and import financing during the continuing war-driven economic crisis.