Lords private notice question following atrocities in El Fasher in the Darfur region of Sudan, what assessment they have made of (1) the situation in El Obeid, and (2) of the likelihood of further genocide in Sudan.

Lords private notice question following atrocities in El Fasher in the Darfur region of Sudan, what assessment they have made of (1) the situation in El Obeid, and (2) of the likelihood of further genocide in Sudan.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. The Foreign Secretary has said:

“El Obeid is on the precipice of an atrocity”,

in a country with an estimated 150,000 fatalities and between 14 million and 15 million displaced people. Given that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said yesterday, without a court...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. The Foreign Secretary has said:

“El Obeid is on the precipice of an atrocity”,

in a country with an estimated 150,000 fatalities and between 14 million and 15 million displaced people. Given that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said yesterday, without a court...

I was at the International Development Committee yesterday, and I thought the evidence provided by the witnesses was compelling and impressive. I did not agree with it all, but I thought that those giving evidence did themselves a great deal of credit. I have asked officials this morning for renewed...

I was at the International Development Committee yesterday, and I thought the evidence provided by the witnesses was compelling and impressive. I did not agree with it all, but I thought that those giving evidence did themselves a great deal of credit. I have asked officials this morning for renewed...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this subject to the attention of the House once again. It is an incredibly important subject, and we should be concentrating more on it. The UN Human Rights Office has said that it has verified 546 instances of conflict-related...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this subject to the attention of the House once again. It is an incredibly important subject, and we should be concentrating more on it. The UN Human Rights Office has said that it has verified 546 instances of conflict-related...

We have done a couple of things: we have deployed specialist teams on gender-based violence in the area, and we have a fact-finding mission. We are doing that so that proceedings can follow. I will not go into the detail of some of the violence here, but the degradation is...

We have done a couple of things: we have deployed specialist teams on gender-based violence in the area, and we have a fact-finding mission. We are doing that so that proceedings can follow. I will not go into the detail of some of the violence here, but the degradation is...

My Lords, I note the Minister’s reference to the action by the Security Council and the joint statement by Foreign Ministers of like-minded countries calling for a halt on the attack on El Obeid. But does she agree that the absence of any reference to consequences in those statements renders...

My Lords, I note the Minister’s reference to the action by the Security Council and the joint statement by Foreign Ministers of like-minded countries calling for a halt on the attack on El Obeid. But does she agree that the absence of any reference to consequences in those statements renders...

I have been on the record in this House on many occasions expressing frustration with the futility, sometimes, of the statements we make. They are hard to get agreed and very carefully worded, as the noble Lord knows. Do they have the real-world impact that we would wish to see?...

I have been on the record in this House on many occasions expressing frustration with the futility, sometimes, of the statements we make. They are hard to get agreed and very carefully worded, as the noble Lord knows. Do they have the real-world impact that we would wish to see?...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his important Question. I know that my noble friend the Minister is well aware of the nature of the appalling tragedy taking place in Sudan. One of the factors fuelling the extent of that ongoing tragedy is the continued supply of modern...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his important Question. I know that my noble friend the Minister is well aware of the nature of the appalling tragedy taking place in Sudan. One of the factors fuelling the extent of that ongoing tragedy is the continued supply of modern...

Absolutely. There is no doubt that this conflict is being prolonged and intensified because of the supply of drones and other high-tech equipment to armed groups within Sudan, not just the SAF and the RSF but many others. There are now double digits of countries involving themselves in this conflict....

Absolutely. There is no doubt that this conflict is being prolonged and intensified because of the supply of drones and other high-tech equipment to armed groups within Sudan, not just the SAF and the RSF but many others. There are now double digits of countries involving themselves in this conflict....

My Lords, the Government were well aware of the arms pipeline between the UAE and the RSF, which took place from mid-2023 onwards and resulted in several genocidal attacks. Therefore, there was a choice for the Government to put pressure on the UAE to stop that arms traffic, but they...

My Lords, the Government were well aware of the arms pipeline between the UAE and the RSF, which took place from mid-2023 onwards and resulted in several genocidal attacks. Therefore, there was a choice for the Government to put pressure on the UAE to stop that arms traffic, but they...

I would like to stop arms flows from every country into Sudan. I think there should be a complete embargo, which is what the UK Government are pushing for. As for specific conversations with particular countries, I do not think there is a conversation that I or my right honourable...

I would like to stop arms flows from every country into Sudan. I think there should be a complete embargo, which is what the UK Government are pushing for. As for specific conversations with particular countries, I do not think there is a conversation that I or my right honourable...

My Lords, I draw attention to my entries in the register on organisations working in the Middle East and on conflict resolution. I thank the Minister. At a time when there is a lot of challenge in the air and on budgets, I know that she prioritises the issue of...

My Lords, I draw attention to my entries in the register on organisations working in the Middle East and on conflict resolution. I thank the Minister. At a time when there is a lot of challenge in the air and on budgets, I know that she prioritises the issue of...

We very much support the Quad process and have been active in doing so. We have provided channels of communication in support of the Quad. It is not the only process and there are other tasks to be undertaken. The UK is also involved in the civilian track because when,...

We very much support the Quad process and have been active in doing so. We have provided channels of communication in support of the Quad. It is not the only process and there are other tasks to be undertaken. The UK is also involved in the civilian track because when,...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for all the answers she has given, as I thank the noble Lord for asking the Question. Only this week it was said in this Chamber that the conflict in Sudan does not have a high enough profile in our own media here...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for all the answers she has given, as I thank the noble Lord for asking the Question. Only this week it was said in this Chamber that the conflict in Sudan does not have a high enough profile in our own media here...

Obviously, that is a matter for the Home Office. I point out that most Sudanese refugees I have spoken to wish to stay in their region. They are furious about what is happening to their country. They feel very strongly that they wish to return and to provide leadership and...

Obviously, that is a matter for the Home Office. I point out that most Sudanese refugees I have spoken to wish to stay in their region. They are furious about what is happening to their country. They feel very strongly that they wish to return and to provide leadership and...

My Lords, I too support the Minister’s robust and strong response. She mentioned the illicit flows of gold. Is she aware that the RSF has been exporting substantial quantities of gold to countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and the UAE to help finance the provision of weapons and arms? Twenty...

My Lords, I too support the Minister’s robust and strong response. She mentioned the illicit flows of gold. Is she aware that the RSF has been exporting substantial quantities of gold to countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and the UAE to help finance the provision of weapons and arms? Twenty...

Yes, that is a very good suggestion. It is why we had an illicit gold conference recently. I am well aware of the problem the noble Lord describes. The idea of having a consumer-facing campaign around this is excellent. I would like to get involved in leading it. It is...

Yes, that is a very good suggestion. It is why we had an illicit gold conference recently. I am well aware of the problem the noble Lord describes. The idea of having a consumer-facing campaign around this is excellent. I would like to get involved in leading it. It is...

My Lords, I take the Minister back to the International Development Committee meeting that she attended yesterday, which has already been referred to. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, testified that the UK had failed to act on intelligence and...

My Lords, I take the Minister back to the International Development Committee meeting that she attended yesterday, which has already been referred to. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, testified that the UK had failed to act on intelligence and...

I have huge respect for Nathaniel, but I disagree with the analysis that some options were put to Ministers and we chose the least. That is just not my version of what happened. It is important that analysts are able to give their perspective, but sometimes it is also acceptable...

I have huge respect for Nathaniel, but I disagree with the analysis that some options were put to Ministers and we chose the least. That is just not my version of what happened. It is important that analysts are able to give their perspective, but sometimes it is also acceptable...

My Lords, it was recently reported that hundreds of Colombian private military contractors, apparently hired by a UAE-based company, transited through UAE military facilities before being deployed to Sudan to support the RSF. Are the Government aware of this case, and have they made representations to the UAE about it?

My Lords, it was recently reported that hundreds of Colombian private military contractors, apparently hired by a UAE-based company, transited through UAE military facilities before being deployed to Sudan to support the RSF. Are the Government aware of this case, and have they made representations to the UAE about it?