Written question asked by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 May 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 23 May 2024. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Friday, 24 May 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Sudan: Arms Trade

Question: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking as the penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to prevent the flow of arms to the Rapid Support Forces.

Answer: The UK uses its position as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and penholder on Sudan to take action to bring an end to the conflict and atrocities in the country. There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. In our engagement with international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. On 15 April, a year after the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK imposed new sanctions targeting three businesses linked with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support forces.

Secondary information