Written question asked by Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour) on Thursday, 17 December 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 January 2016. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Wednesday, 30 December 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

South Sudan and Sudan

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in (1) Sudan, and (2) South Sudan.

Answer: The situation in Sudan remains of concern, especially in the conflict areas of Darfur and the Two Areas. In this light, it was disappointing that African Union-mediated peace talks in Addis Ababa were suspended on 23 November without the parties reaching an agreement. We continue to urge both the Government of Sudan and opposition to return to discussions on a ceasefire, allow full humanitarian access and engage in inclusive, comprehensive and transparent political dialogue. In South Sudan, progress has been mixed on implementation of the compromise peace agreement signed in August. We welcome recent steps including the agreement of the transitional security arrangements and preparations for the return of the first group of the opposition to Juba. However, we remain concerned by delays to the formation of the transitional government of national unity, breaches of the ceasefire in Unity and Upper Nile states, and the continued lack of humanitarian access in many areas. We regularly lobby both sides on all these issues.

Secondary information