Egyptian military-owned company supplied SAF-owned conglomerate despite sanctions

Muckraker is publishing today the leaked documents it obtained as part of its investigation into the Egyptian-Sudanese Company (ESC), a joint venture of the Egyptian and Sudanese governments, and a major conduit of trade between Sudan and its neighbour to the north, including in gold. The documents can be found here.

Among other things, the leaked files show that the ESC entered into a cooperation protocol with Sudanese conglomerate Zadna International in January 2024, months after the latter was put under sanctions for its role in the civil war in Sudan.

The agreement established a commodity 'bartering' system that allows the ESC to supply Zadna with "strategic goods" while avoiding foreign currency exchange.

Under the UK and US sanctions regime, Zadna International is barred from trading in US dollars or British pounds.

When reached for comment, an executive at the Egyptian-Sudanese Company initially denied any dealings with the sanctioned Sudanese entity.