Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 15 December 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 January 2009. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Wednesday, 21 January 2009 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to monitor the situation in Darfur.

Answer: [holding answer 12 January 2009]: My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, discussed the situation in Darfur with Djibril Bassolé, African Union/UN Chief Mediator for Darfur, in London on 15 December 2008, and we are in regular contact with his office. Our ambassador in Khartoum and her staff maintain close contact with all main political groups in Darfur, non-governmental organisations working in the region, and the AU/UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur. Officials have visited all three states of Darfur in the last three months for meetings with a variety of humanitarian, civil society and political figures.

Secondary information