The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 11 Sudanese individuals and entities accused of operating gold, financial and procurement networks that sustain both sides of Sudan’s war.

Announced on Thursday, the measures target four individuals and seven entities suspected of supporting either the Sudanese Armed Forces, known as the SAF, or the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, known as the RSF.

Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said all those sanctioned are Sudanese but conduct business internationally, including through the gold markets of Dubai and Hong Kong.

At the centre of the RSF-linked network is Sudanese national Abu Dharr Abdul Nabi Habiballa Ahmmed. British authorities accuse him of financing and supporting RSF operations through a network involving conflict gold, real estate and holding companies based in Dubai.

The sanctions also include Prodigious Real Estate Management Supervision Services, a UAE-based Sudanese company that Britain suspects of forming part of Abu Dharr’s commercial network.

Two other individuals, Mazin Fadlalla and Ahmed Hashim, were designated over their alleged involvement in obtaining money, equipment and supplies for the RSF.

Natwest Logistics and Aoun Commercial Brokers, both Sudanese companies based in the UAE, were also sanctioned for allegedly facilitating financial transactions, procurement and logistical support for the paramilitary force.

The package extends beyond RSF-linked networks.

Ahmad Abdalla was sanctioned over his alleged involvement in securing weapons, equipment and financing for the Sudanese army and its Defence Industries System. Britain also designated Portex Trade Limited, a Sudanese company based in Hong Kong, which it suspects of supporting SAF procurement and helping bypass existing sanctions.

Three state-owned mining companies were also targeted.

Britain accused Omdurman Mining and Ariab Mining Company of generating gold revenue that supports the army’s war effort. A third company, Sudamin Company Ltd, is suspected of directing conflict-gold revenue to both the SAF and RSF, including through previous links with the sanctioned Al Junaid company.

The British government described Sudan’s gold industry as a central engine of the country’s war economy. Official gold exports were valued at approximately $1.5 billion across 2024 and 2025, but London estimates that the industry’s true value is several times higher.

Billions of dollars’ worth of additional gold are believed to be smuggled out of Sudan each year through unofficial channels. British officials say those revenues are used to purchase weapons, finance military operations and support armed groups.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Sudanese civilians continued to bear the cost of a war sustained not only by weapons and fighters but also by illegal flows of gold and money.

She said the sanctions were intended to expose and disrupt the commercial networks converting Sudan’s natural wealth into revenue for the conflict. The complete list was published by the British government.

The British measures follow new European restrictions on Sudan’s gold trade. The European Union announced a ban on purchasing, importing or transferring gold originating in Sudan.

The EU also prohibited the sale and export of mercury and cyanide to the country. Both chemicals are used in gold extraction and processing. European officials said the restrictions were intended to limit the financial resources available to the warring parties.

Britain also warned that El Obeid, a strategically important city in central Sudan, was at risk of becoming the site of another mass atrocity as RSF forces gathered around it.

London called for the United Nations arms embargo on Sudan to be expanded to cover El Obeid, saying the city was already under severe humanitarian pressure.

The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF began in April 2023 and has since developed into one of the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises. Millions have been forced from their homes as the rival forces compete for territory, resources and control of the country’s economy.

By targeting traders, procurement officials and mining companies connected to both camps, Britain is seeking to move beyond sanctions on battlefield commanders and disrupt the wider commercial infrastructure keeping the war alive.