Sudan official gold exports match 2025 total in six months, minister says

August 9, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s official gold exports over the past six months matched the total volume exported officially in all of 2025, Minister of Minerals Nour al-Dayem Taha said on Sunday, following new government measures to curb widespread smuggling.

Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Kamel Idris, Taha attributed the surge to tighter controls and policies aimed at channelling more production through formal banking systems.

Last week, Sudan’s Security and Defence Council announced dedicated courts to prosecute gold smuggling and banned military and paramilitary forces from mining areas to reduce illicit trading.

Smuggling has long diverted the bulk of Sudan’s gold production away from state coffers. Official figures from the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company showed the country produced 70 tons of gold last year, yet the Central Bank of Sudan recorded official exports of just 14 tons.

Taha said the prime minister backed the ministry’s strategy to regulate artisanal mining, oversee mineral markets, and secure national gold output.

Gold serves as Sudan’s chief foreign exchange earner, crucial for financing essential imports as the country struggles with severe economic disruption caused by ongoing conflict.