Bank of Sudan tightens transfer rules to combat money laundering
January 7, 2026 (PORT SUDAN) – The Central Bank of Sudan announced on Wednesday new regulations for bank transfers, including periodic reviews of customer transactions to curb money laundering and terrorism financing.
In a circular issued to banks and financial institutions, the central bank said it introduced the measures as part of a commitment to international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) standards. It said the rules aim to enhance banking safety and transparency.
The bank requested a periodic review of customer transaction patterns to monitor for unusual activity and ensure that transaction volume is consistent with declared sources of income.
The directive instructed bank compliance officers to report any transactions suspected of involvement in money laundering, terrorism financing, or tax evasion to the Financial Intelligence Unit and provide a copy to the central bank. Institutions were also urged to utilize specialized AML/CFT technical systems.
Since 2013, Sudan has been among 120 countries receiving technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding anti-money laundering and terrorism financing.
The circular urged financial institutions to verify that customers are not listed on local sanction lists, which include bans, seizures, and freezes, as well as lists issued by the technical committee for implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions.
For high-risk transfers, banks were granted the right to obtain additional information from the customer, including the source of funds, the purpose of the transfer, and its consistency with the nature of their economic activity.
The central bank also mandated that banks link all of a customer’s accounts to a unified reference number. This is intended to track suspicious indicators in account movements to mitigate the risk of money laundering or tax evasion.
The regulations emphasized adherence to daily and monthly ceilings for financial transfers, ensuring that movements do not exceed the scope of the customer’s business activity.
On Monday, the central bank increased the daily transfer limit from bank accounts to 3 million pounds, up from 1 million pounds, in a move intended to facilitate the flow of capital.
The circular required financial institutions to activate balance-tracking features and monitor suspicious movements through technical systems. It also ordered periodic updates to customer data to ensure completeness.
Sudan underwent a Financial Sector Assessment Program by the World Bank in 2005 and joined the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), based in Bahrain, the following year.