Sudan

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Friday 13th September 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for his considered and thoughtful introduction to this debate and the very powerful briefing that he has provided to Members on the despair of the Sudanese people.

Since the outbreak of this war, the carnage is widespread throughout Sudan, a nation three times the size of France. Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, lies in rubble and much of other cities has been besieged and destroyed, so the numbers of dead and injured may not be as accurate as has been suggested.

Alongside a number of leading humanitarian agencies, we heard from the Sudanese women who were the shuttle diplomacy initiative leaders, who spoke in tears with emotional testimonies, traumatised by the catastrophic destruction of their nation. They urged us as members as well as the UK Government to work with regional parties, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to bring about an immediate ceasefire agreement. They described the consequences of the atrocities continuing against civilians, particularly women and children, who are again bearing the brunt. Humanitarian organisations are calling for attention to the urgent plight of 14 million children facing hunger and famine. Sudan is said to have the largest child displacement crisis in the world, with 8 million people displaced, including children, lacking shelter, food, basic sanitation, healthcare and access to safe drinking water.

Overall, 25 million people—half the population, as has been said—are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, with 19 million children missing out on school due to the conflict. Four million children under five are starving and another million are predicted to be suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition, with disastrous consequences for children’s safety and well-being, with child protection risks, child labour, child marriages and human trafficking, to which the women leaders also referred.

We have led on preventing sexual violence in conflict with great expertise, and I am glad to hear that the Minister has said that we are assisting with the mechanism in place for recording information on violence against women, sexual abuse, child marriages and human trafficking—notwithstanding what has also been said, that the women must have their rightful place and a leading role in post conflict.

As has been said, Sudan’s crisis does not exist in isolation. Its Arab neighbours, particularly Egypt, with their shared borders, have a vested interest in the outcome of this conflict. In relation to its own stability and national security, the River Nile, which is vital to both countries, remains a critical issue of contention. Prolonged instability in Sudan could have serious implications for water security in Egypt and elsewhere. Added to the presence of enormous natural wealth and resources, it will have neighbouring nations clamouring for control.

Sudan is a precious nation with deep-rooted ties to the United Kingdom, and I have visited it on a number of occasions, including with the late Lord Sheikh, who was committed to advancing greater economic ties between Sudan and the UK.

For me, these two are very personal perspectives arising out of long-standing friendship with many Sudanese men and women. During our visits we witnessed at first hand the hopes of the nation rising out of war-torn Sudan, bestowed with the promise of wealth and economic prosperity. The people were ready, indeed, for negotiating peace and reconciliation. We visited the mountains of Sudan, where five Italian women experts were leading the restoration of ancient heritage, treasures and tombs, with the oldest pyramids, albeit small in size. We also visited the Darfur camps. It was then that we learned that Sudan is rich in natural resources, water, gold and minerals. As has been said, these may be the very reason for, or certainly a significant factor in, the current very prevalent conflict.

Apart from oil, Sudan is one of Africa’s largest gold producers and the country’s gold mines, particularly in Darfur, South Kordofan and the River Nile, will no doubt become a serious source of lucrative power-play in post-conflict negotiations. Sudan’s fertile land and water resources from the Nile makes it a major producer of crops and livestock and, besides gold, Sudan has significant deposits of chrome, copper, iron ore and marble. These minerals, though less exploited than oil and gold, will certainly embolden the usual players in the extractive industries waiting for post-war dividends, as well as otherwise friendly neighbours who are likely to push for influence and control over the critical River Nile and the future landscape of the region.

The Economist has rightly described the situation in Sudan as “a geopolitical time-bomb”, describing the possibility that it could unleash instability in Africa and beyond. This has also been powerfully concluded by the Minister and other distinguished noble Lords in this House. Given this context and the potential impact of a prolonged conflict in the region beyond Sudan’s immediate neighbours, is there an achievable path to peace? I understand that some work has been done through the Saudi Arabia and US-led Jeddah platform. What further dialogue, if any, is in progress with counterparts in Africa, the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to seek an immediate ceasefire and secure access for humanitarian assistance?

We have witnessed a notorious bending of international norms and rules of conflict and wars. We are watching live ethnic cleansing and the merciless destruction of yet another nation and we must ensure that all those responsible for these atrocities are held to account and face criminal prosecution for their heinous crimes. The UK has a unique historical role in Sudan and, alongside the US, has retained an interest in Sudan’s political development and stability. Here, I sound a little alarm bell for the record, as I ask the Minister for an assurance that the Government will not succumb to any third-party pressures to divide Sudan further, and that Sudan will remain an independent nation with its resources kept intact for the benefit of its citizens. As we are assisting Ukraine, is it unthinkable to ask whether the UK and our allies are considering military intervention?

It seems so long ago that I watched the convergence of the blue and white waters of the Nile. It was a country full of hope for peace, prosperity and a stable, secure Sudan. When that happens, I hope that Sudan’s diaspora in the UK and elsewhere will be relied on and included in the development of a new Sudanese nation, as should the women and men of Sudan itself in the rebuilding and shaping of a free and just nation.