Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat). It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 June 2011.

Sudan

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the situation in Sudan.

Answer: My Lords, we are deeply concerned by the situation in Abyei and the current violence in Southern Kordofan. We call for an immediate cessation of violence and urge the parties to work through the African Union-facilitated negotiations to resolve their differences. Michael Ryder, the UK special envoy to Sudan, is in Addis Ababa today, supporting these talks. We are particularly concerned by the humanitarian impact and the lack of access for humanitarian agencies. We strongly urge the Sudanese armed forces from the north and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army to allow humanitarian agencies immediate access to those who most need their help.

Secondary information