News Release
Financial Sanctions: Sudan

26 May 2006

On 29 March 2005 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1591 (2005) concerning Sudan. The Resolution introduced, inter alia, financial sanctions against those persons designated by the competent United Nations Sanctions Committee as persons who impede the peace process, constitute a threat to stability and break international law in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The Sudan (United Nations Measures) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1259) (“the Order”), which gives effect to Resolution 1591, came into force on 12 May 2005.

On 18 July 2005 the Council of the European Union adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005, which implements Resolution 1591(2005) at Community level. Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (O.J. L193, p.9) on 23 July 2005. Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005 listed the persons subject to financial sanctions under that Regulation.

On 26 April 2006 the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1672 (2006) which introduced the financial sanctions in Resolution 1591 (2005) on four persons.

On 18 May 2006 the Commission of the European Communities adopted Commission Regulation (EC) No 760/2006 which amended Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1884/2005 to include the four persons designated in Resolution 1672 (2006).

The Bank of England, on behalf of Her Majesty’s Treasury, therefore announces that with effect from 19 May 2006 all funds or economic resources belonging to the persons listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005 as amended must be frozen. No funds or economic resources are to be made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of the listed persons. Financial institutions and other bodies and persons in the UK must check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold any funds for the individuals named and, if so, they should freeze the accounts and report the accounts or other funds and amounts frozen to the Bank of England.

The Bank of England has today issued a Notice on Sudan, which gives guidance on certain aspects of the Order and Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005. The Annex to the Bank’s Notice details those listed in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005 as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 760/2006.

Copies of Council Regulation (EC) No 1184/2005, Commission Regulation (EC) No 760/2006 and the related Bank Notice regarding the financial sanctions regime against those persons designated by Resolution 1591 (2005) or Resolution 1672 (2006) are available from the Financial Sanctions pages.