Written question asked by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 January 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 January 2023. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Wednesday, 25 January 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Central African Republic: Arms Trade

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of recent cross-border activity by the armed forces of Sudan on the UN arms embargo in Central African Republic and on security in that country.

Answer: We are monitoring reports of recent cross-border activity by Sudanese armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR). The deterioration of peace and security in CAR continues to take a severe toll on the population, compounding an already acute humanitarian situation. The potential involvement of such regional armed groups in CAR would risk undermining recent political and humanitarian progress. It is vital that the UN Sanctions Regime (including an arms embargo) continues to support the CAR authorities in maintaining peace and stability in the country. The UK therefore welcomed the UN Security Council's agreement to maintain the existing targeted sanctions and the renewal of the Panel of Experts mandate in July 2022.

Secondary information