Abstract

Sanctions are becoming increasingly central to shaping strategic outcomes in the XXI century. They afford great powers, like the European Union, a means by which to seek to influence the behavior of states, to demonstrate international leadership, to express common values for the benefit of the international community at large. Moreover, they often serve as an appropriate tool to prevent deadly conflicts in different geopolitical regions. In this light, it is getting more important for analysts in international relations around the world to research one of the most salient crises of the current world politics – the Sudan conflict in the context of the sanctions diplomacy of the EU. The EU’s sanctions diplomacy against Sudan is specific in three respects. First, it exemplifies how sanctions fatigue sets in where they fail to produce results for a long period of time. Second, sanctions policy highlighted the fact that the suspension of aid was not only failing to deliver the right foreign policy results, but was actually aggravating the situation by fuelling the war economy. In addition, the case of Sudan presents a complicated interplay between sanctions imposed by the EU and the UN. Analysis of the legal framework of the EU sanctions policy in Sudan leads author to conclusion that it was designed by the suspension of the development aid, arms embargo and embargo on dual-use goods. As it’s defined in the official documents, the EU sanctions diplomacy in Sudan was aimed to cease fire and in this way to resolve conflict among North and South, to support democracy and to provide human rights and freedoms. Assessment of the efficiency of the EU sanctions diplomacy in Sudan proves that it is not enough appropriate tool to Sudan conflict resolution. Among factors, that impact negatively on the EU sanctions policy in Sudan, are non-compliance of sanctions by international community, for example, countries like China, Russia, Iran, North Korea amply supplied Sudan with arms; abnormal political circumstances, with part of the territory under the control of the rebel forces.