Sudan denies reports about alleged role in Russian gold reserves
March 11, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese minister on Friday denied reports that President Putin has built its reserves of smuggled Sudanese gold, saying it was part of a campaign promoted by Western powers against Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Russia has smuggled hundreds of tonnes of gold from Sudan over the past years to build a $630bn gold reserve to mitigate the impact of sanctions, according to a report by the Daily Telegraph on March 3.
The London based daily said the gold is smuggled in small planes from military airports to Russia, thanks to the warlord turned deputy chairman of the military-led Sovereign Council in Sudan Mohamed Hamdan Daglo aka “Hemetti” who recently visited Moscow.
“What was reported in a Western newspaper is baseless accusations that closer to the aspiration of western parties to justify the Western campaign against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine,” Sudanese Minerals Minister Mohamed Bashir Abunmo told the Sudan Tribune on Friday.
This a conflict in which we are not involved,” he stressed.
Abunmo, a leading member of the SLM-Minni Minnawi, is one of the few ministers that remain in the government after the coup d’état of October 25.
The Daily Telegraph’s report mentioned the role of Hemetti-led Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which are also involved in gold mining. But the minister focused only on the role and functions that his ministry plays.
The minister pointed out that there is one Russian mining company operating in Sudan. Its annual production does not exceed three tons from which the Sudanese government takes a significant percentage, as he said.
The production of the Russian company is often exported abroad with the knowledge of the authorities,” he said
Also, he expressed doubts that it exports its production to Russia.
Abunmo said his ministry has a representative in all gold-producing mines and factories and oversees gold produced up to the refinery.
He further said that his ministry has representatives working in all gold-producing mines and factories to oversee the produced gold from the mines up to the refinery.
Regular reports are published about the arrest of Sudanese at international airports smuggling gold from Sudan.
But the Sudanese minister spoke about collective efforts by his government to tighten control at the airports and borers to fight gold smuggling.
In addition, he rejected accusations levelled at his ministry of leniency in gold smuggling.
“It is understandable to say that individuals were or still are lenient or accomplices to smuggling gold. But accusing an entire ministry of being lenient in smuggling gold is incomprehensible and indicates either ignorance or purpose,” he said.
(ST)