The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Warsi)
My Lords, I start by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, for tabling today’s debate, and for providing at its outset a very helpful historical and political summary. I also thank all noble Lords for their kind comments welcoming me to my new role. In my few short weeks as a Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the Sudans have consistently been a high priority for the FCO, and it is heartening to see such strong interest in this subject from my fellow Peers. I should also commend the continued commitment of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Sudan and South Sudan, many of whom are present tonight.
I welcome the follow-up report of 22 March by EU Sub-Committee C entitled The EU: Sudan and South Sudan. This report, in addition to the longer report from June 2011, made some very useful recommendations. I hope that noble Lords saw the response issued by the Government at the time in which we broadly agreed with the recommendations on international co-operation, particularly with the EU and China, as a means of resolving the disagreements between both countries.
Since the publishing of the report in March, we have seen moments of great tension between the countries. In March the risk of open conflict seemed very real, but following the road map set out by the African Union Peace and Security Council, which was further endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046, a new sense of co-operation and negotiation has resulted in agreements on eight key issues between the countries. We welcome these agreements signed on 27 September. They represent a significant step forward towards the goal of resolving all outstanding disputes between the two countries and we congratulate both countries on what they have achieved. It was also a positive sign of what can be achieved through co-operation between the African Union and the United Nations.
Some issues, however, remain unresolved. It is disappointing that no agreement was reached on the final status of Abyei. Final demarcation of the international border remains subject to settling a number of disputes and claims. My noble friend Lord Trimble raised important points about its practical application. The noble Lord, Lord Selkirk, also referred to the possibility of further negotiations or referendums in Abyei. The latest proposal put forward by the African Union would provide for a referendum on final status with important safeguards for the rights of all communities. We believe that this provides a good basis for agreement. The partition of Abyei would be in the interests neither of the residents of the territory nor of the nomadic groups who pass through annually. The noble Lord also raised the issue of an alternative pipeline for oil through Kenya. I understand that the Government of South Sudan continue to study options for alternative pipelines but the only immediate prospect for addressing South Sudan’s economic needs is a resumption of production and export through the existing pipeline in accordance with the agreement signed on 27 September. However, I note the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, about using the proceeds of oil to invest in sectors that could provide future financial stability.
The noble Baroness, Lady Cox, highlighted the lack of a ceasefire in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile State and the continued restrictions on humanitarian access. These are greatly worrying. The suffering of people in both states must be addressed and the UK teams in Juba and Khartoum are working closely with the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs and a range of NGOs to ensure we explore all options to see that assistance reaches those who need it. The noble Baroness always produces very powerful personal accounts of the situation on the ground in Sudan and South Sudan.
The noble Baronesses, Lady Cox and Lady Kinnock, raised cross-border aid. We know that some others are considering how to provide aid across the border from South Sudan. However, there are risks associated with this, including difficulties of ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most. We are also concerned that attempting to provide aid without the consent of the Government of Sudan is likely to put at risk humanitarian assistance to millions elsewhere in Sudan, particularly in Darfur. However, we remain in close contact with a range of NGOs as well as the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League, to ensure that all options for getting assistance to those who need it are explored.
I can also assure the noble Baroness, Lady Kinnock, that long-term development in South Sudan remains a top priority for the United Kingdom. However, development programmes are based on a partnership in which both sides contribute resources. By halting oil production, South Sudan has denied itself access to 98% of its revenues. The UK and other donors cannot fill that gap. It was essential that we refocused our development programme away from the Government’s longer-term development agenda and towards supporting the most vulnerable and addressing life-saving needs. After the successful agreement on oil revenue, once revenues start flowing in again, we hope that we can restart the development programmes that were planned.
The most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York and the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Exeter raised the role of churches in South Sudan. We welcome the critical role of the Church in South Sudan, both in conflict resolution among communities and in development, particularly education. We remain committed to working in partnership with the Church on these issues. It has a huge amount of experience, knowledge and reach and we regularly meet representatives of the Church when they are in the UK. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his kind remarks about my commitment to the issue of faith and the role of faith organisations, both the role that they play domestically and internationally. I endorse the comments of my noble friend Lord Sheikh in relation to the work of Islamic Relief.
The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Exeter also raised concerns about the humanitarian crisis in South Kordofan. We are deeply concerned by the plight of the civilians caught up in the fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The limited assessments available of the humanitarian situation of those in that conflict zone, as well as of those who have sought refuge in South Sudan and Ethiopia, all point to a severe crisis. DfID is working with humanitarian partners better to address the needs of those in the refugee camps and we have set aside resources to meet the needs of those remaining in the conflict zones, once access is possible. We are putting our efforts behind a proposal on arrangements for humanitarian access made by the UN, the AU and the League of Arab States. I agree that the Arab League can play an important role in bringing the Government of Sudan to accept full, independent humanitarian access. We are in close contact with it and will continue to urge it to use its influence with Sudan to this end.
The noble Lord, Lord Jay, and the noble Lord, Lord Alton, are right to highlight ongoing concerns in Darfur. We remain deeply concerned by the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur: 1.7 million Darfurians remain displaced. Through the Department for International Development, humanitarian programmes are providing life-saving support for those in need in Darfur. DfID also supports community-level peace building and stabilisation to tackle the drivers of local conflict. I also assure both noble Lords that DfID is at the forefront of efforts to improve aid co-ordination in South Sudan, in support of the development priorities of the South Sudan Government. Earlier today, the noble Lord, Lord Alton, was kind enough to raise his concerns with officials when they met as part of the All-Party Group on Sudan and South Sudan. The issues raised were quite comprehensive and I have asked my officials to reply in detail to the noble Lord in writing.
The noble Lord, Lord Chidgey, raised the issue of corruption and financial management. DfID provides a significant capacity-building support to the Audit Chamber and the Anti-Corruption Commission. A high-level dialogue on accountability and transparency is led by the UK and the South Sudan Ministry of Finance and is central to our development programme.
On transparency, I agree that there needs to be transparency for the South Sudanese people in the revenues from oil. We are encouraging the Government of South Sudan to adopt the principles of the extraction industry’s transparency initiative.
The noble Lord, Lord Curry, asked about the role of China. China has remained in close touch with both Sudan and South Sudan through negotiations and visits by its special envoy to encourage both sides to negotiate constructively. I understand that the China National Petroleum Corporation is working to support implementation of the deal reached on oil. Our special representative for Sudan and South Sudan has a regular dialogue with his Chinese counterpart to discuss the constructive role that China can play in the peace process and in the development of both countries.
The noble Lord, Lord Anderson of Swansea, raised important issues. In light of him having to leave early, I agree to respond to the noble Lord in writing.
At the moment, we have a situation which we all agree shows a marked improvement from six months ago. Both countries should be applauded, as should the efforts of the African Union, the African Union high-level implementation panel and other countries. However, there is still a great deal of work to do and it will take a continued effort from both countries to settle their remaining differences properly and peacefully.
For our part, the United Kingdom is prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that the agreements are implemented and finalised and to press for resolution of all outstanding issues. We also remain fully committed to helping the people of both countries through our humanitarian and development projects. We will continue to provide assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs of conflict-affected populations, to ensure security and access to justice, to build basic services, and to encourage more transparent and accountable Governments in both countries. Through all of this, we will continue to work as closely as possible with our key international partners, including the European Union. A united approach is the best way to ensure that both countries remain on the path towards the peaceful future that their people so greatly deserve.
I thank noble Lords for their time today and I look forward to the next opportunity that I have to discuss these matters with them. I hope that next time the discussion will be able to focus once again on the progress that has been made between the two countries.