On Tuesday 21 April, European foreign affairs ministers reached a “political agreement” on new EU sanctions against those benefiting from the conflict in Sudan, announced the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council. However, no concrete sanctions were decided, as the EU27 confined themselves to reaffirming the EU's position on a war that has been raging for over three years between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The EU’s priorities are threefold. First, push the ceasefire efforts. Second, advance civilian transition, and third strengthen accountability”, said Ms Kallas on Tuesday evening.
With the support of the Netherlands, the ministers agreed in particular to prepare to support a ceasefire monitoring mechanism under the aegis of the United Nations and, in a press release, called for the warrants of the International Criminal Court and the UN arms embargo, currently limited to Darfur, to be extended to the whole of Sudan.
Some European countries are calling for greater pressure from the EU, particularly on the gold sector, a major source of export revenue. “The Netherlands has wanted this for some time and will continue to discuss it”, said Dutch minister Tom Berendsen on Tuesday morning.
His Belgian counterpart, Maxime Prévot, questioned “the equidistant position that the EU has always maintained with regard to the belligerents”. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)