Lord Sheikh

Sudan has facilitated the delivery of emergency humanitarian supplies into South Sudan. In 2014 the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme which has enabled 47,000 metric tons of emergency and nutrition assistance to be delivered to more than 200,000 South Sudanese in the Upper Nile State.

There are over 230,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. Until March the government of Sudan allowed refugees to move freely, work, and live in host communities, but South Sudanese arriving since then have been classed as ‘foreigners’, thereby restricting their movements within Sudan. We are not aware of any formal agreement by Sudan to reduce the payments it levies on South Sudan’s oil exports.

Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.

In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.

Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.

In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.

Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.

In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.

Since 2014, DFID Sudan has provided £10.4 million to address the humanitarian needs of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Sudan. The assistance has been in the areas of emergency food distribution, water and sanitation, education, and protection activities in the areas of White Nile State and Kordofan states. We are currently discussing with humanitarian partners in Sudan further contributions of approximately £3 million to be disbursed in the coming months.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide further support if required.

On the basis of an agreement between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the WFP have been working with relevant government authorities in both countries and the region to ensure that their planes are able to deliver much needed humanitarian supplies into South Sudan. For instance, from January to June 2016 alone WFP managed to deliver close to 21,300 metric tons of cereals, pulses and vegetable oil to Upper Nile state. With the six-month extension to this agreement, WFP plans to deliver another 10,000 metric tons of food from Sudan to South Sudan. This represents a pragmatic approach to delivering vital humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict in South Sudan, and we welcome the support of the Government of Sudan in facilitating the delivery of food assistance across the border.

DFID Sudan and DFID South Sudan are monitoring the situation in relation to the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, and will keep working closely with WFP to help maintain essential transport corridors for humanitarian assistance.

The Minister for Europe and Americas continues to raise with both Governments the importance of the return of all missing persons, the return of the remains of the deceased and the return of mine maps. She did so most recently in her meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors on 4 and 17 November respectively. We welcome the most recent returns of prisoners of war in exchange for mine maps. The UK continues to urge both Governments to settle all matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiation under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The UK government remains concerned about the environmental impact caused by the fire on the X-Press Pearl ship. While the risk of an oil spill is now considered low, plastic pellets and other debris are affecting the shoreline. We have engaged regularly with the Sri Lankan authorities and international experts on the ground to determine how the UK can best support the response.

The UK government is providing marine pollution expertise to Sri Lanka to help respond to the potentially devastating impact on the marine life and coastal habitats of Sri Lanka. The UK will also provide expertise and analytical capacity to support plastic pollution monitoring, as well as environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments. The UK's Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science will partner with Sri Lankan Government Departments, academics and responsible authorities to support effective emergency response and implementation of a post spill integrated monitoring plan.

The UK government is concerned about the Covid-10 situation in Sri Lanka. The Minister for South Asia Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed this with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner on 10 May and with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 17 June.

The UK has consistently stressed that we are all facing the same pandemic and the threat of further waves and variants of the virus makes cooperation between all our partners and the UK ever more vital and important.

The UK remains committed to equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. As the multilateral mechanism set up to support international co-operation on vaccines, COVAX remains best-placed to allocate vaccines fairly and to where they will be most effective. The UK was one of the earliest and largest donors to COVAX donating £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. Our early funding gave COVAX the purchase power it needed to secure deals with manufacturers to supply internationally-approved vaccines for up to 92 low and middle income countries. So far, COVAX has helped deliver over 81m doses to 129 countries and territories, including Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister announced on 11 June that the UK will donate 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines within the next year, with 30 million of those donated by the end of 2021. 80% of the vaccines donated will go to COVAX. This was part of an agreement with G7 partners to donate 1 billion doses by June 2022. We will set out more detail in due course and will continue to discuss with G7 partners the ambition to end the pandemic.

As of 15 June, COVAX had delivered 87 million doses to 131 participating countries and territories. UNICEF is supporting COVAX with the delivery of these vaccines, and details of what each country has received in terms of doses and quantities can be found at https://www.unicef.org/supply/covid-19-vaccine-market-dashboard.

The UK Government welcomes the 10 November peace deal including the implementation of many of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles. During her recent visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and implement the remaining Basic Principles to ensure future regional stability and peace. The UK Government firmly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure regional stability in the South Caucasus in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The UK Government welcomes the 10 November peace deal including the implementation of many of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles. During her recent visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and implement the remaining Basic Principles to ensure future regional stability and peace. The UK Government firmly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure regional stability in the South Caucasus in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The UK Government welcomes the 10 November peace deal including the implementation of many of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles. During her recent visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work together with the OSCE Minsk Group to settle all outstanding matters related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and implement the remaining Basic Principles to ensure future regional stability and peace. The UK Government firmly supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to ensure regional stability in the South Caucasus in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Since 2016, the UK has contributed £5 million to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), on top of our assessed contributions through the EU’s Africa Peace Facility. We also support through the deployment of UK personnel, who provide technical and strategic support, to the MNJTF headquarters in N’Djamena. The UK has supported the G5 Sahel Joint Force (G5SJF) bilaterally and through the EU. We contributed £2 million of bilateral support in 2018/19 and are continuing to support this year. We are also providing technical support to cooperation between the G5SJF and the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA.

​The UK is deeply concerned at the scale of terrorist and inter-community violence in the Sahel. In recent weeks, we have seen a number of horrific attacks with tragic consequences for people in the region. The UK condemns these attacks, including, most recently, those conducted against the Malian and French armed forces on 1-2 November, and offers its deepest condolences to those affected.

As part of the UK's new strategic approach to Africa we are increasing our support to the Sahel, bringing together our development, diplomacy and defence expertise to help address instability and poverty in the region. Our increased engagement includes the deployment of 250 personnel to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali next year and the expansion of our work to address the long-term drivers of conflict.

​The British Government has a strong partnership with Cote d’Ivoire. Stability and inclusive economic growth are shared priorities, with a view to consolidating peace after a decade of crisis and uncertainty. We take every opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to peaceful, free and credible elections in 2020, in line with international law, and encourage all parties to work towards this goal. We have done so directly with government and opposition political parties in Cote d’Ivoire and at the 42nd Human Rights Council on 19 September in Geneva. The 2016 constitution of Cote d’Ivoire stipulates a two-term limit on Presidential mandates, which the incumbent will have reached by the 2020 elections. The elections are the responsibility of the Government of Cote d’Ivoire, all political parties and the Ivoirian people. We urge all parties to participate responsibly, engage fully in the process and avoid the use of inflammatory language. We continue to follow developments closely and hope to see extensive domestic and international observation encouraging transparency and due process before and during the elections in 2020.

​The British Government has a strong partnership with Cote d’Ivoire. Stability and inclusive economic growth are shared priorities, with a view to consolidating peace after a decade of crisis and uncertainty. We take every opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to peaceful, free and credible elections in 2020, in line with international law, and encourage all parties to work towards this goal. We have done so directly with government and opposition political parties in Cote d’Ivoire and at the 42nd Human Rights Council on 19 September in Geneva. The 2016 constitution of Cote d’Ivoire stipulates a two-term limit on Presidential mandates, which the incumbent will have reached by the 2020 elections. The elections are the responsibility of the Government of Cote d’Ivoire, all political parties and the Ivoirian people. We urge all parties to participate responsibly, engage fully in the process and avoid the use of inflammatory language. We continue to follow developments closely and hope to see extensive domestic and international observation encouraging transparency and due process before and during the elections in 2020.

​In a statement by the former Minister for Africa, we welcomed the Eritrea/Ethiopia peace agreement, signed on 9 July 2018. At the UN Human Rights Council on 12 July the UK reiterated its strong support for the peace deal and remains hopeful that it will contribute to stability and prosperity in the two countries. We welcome the visit of Prime Minister Abiy to Eritrea on 18-19 July and the re-commitment of both sides to further progress in their bilateral relationship.

We continue to be deeply concerned by reports that indefinite conscription is ongoing in Eritrea. We raise concerns about human rights in Eritrea regularly, both directly with the Government, as the former Minister for Africa did with the Eritrean Foreign Minister in September 2018, and in international fora. In a statement at the 41^st session of the UN Human Rights council on 12 July the UK welcomed the renewal of the Special Rapporteur's mandate, which we co-sponsored. The UK also urged Eritrea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea and to reform national service.

​We are aware of reports that the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia remains closed and are concerned of the impact this has on the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia that was signed last year. We urge the two countries to ensure the agreement is fully implemented in order to bring stability and prosperity to their countries and the Horn of Africa region. We welcome the visit of Prime Minister Abiy to Eritrea on 18-19 July and both sides re-commitment towards this.

​We continue to engage with Eritrea and Ethiopia as well as our regional and international partners to facilitate further progress of the peace deal they signed, including by seeking to identify practical ways to support improved ties and trade. We are encouraged that the Prime Minister of Ethiopia met with the Eritrean Prime Minister on 18 July in Asmara on the anniversary of the resumption of flights between the two countries. We remain hopeful that this will lead to further progress in implementation of their peace agreement.

Following recent fighting, the political situation in South Sudan remains tense. We continue to call on the leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the peace agreement and re-establish the peace process as soon as possible.

The UK has, and continues to maintain, a prominent role in the peace process in South Sudan. Since conflict broke out in 2013 we, along with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and our Troika (US and Norway) partners, have provided substantial political, technical and financial support to both the peace talks and the implementation of the August peace agreement.

Following the latest outbreak of violence in Juba, our immediate efforts are focused on the stabilisation of the country. We remain firmly committed to the people of South Sudan and call on the leaders to re-establish the peace process as soon as possible.

The Government of Sudan played a constructive role in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development peace process in South Sudan and the recent meeting of regional Foreign Ministers on 11 July in Nairobi. We are working closely with all regional countries to end the violence in South Sudan.

The UK continues to work closely with its Troika partners the US and Norway. The visit by the US’s Special Envoy to Sudan underlines the benefits of the ongoing strategic dialogue between the UK and the Government of Sudan, which allows us to raise issues of concern directly with the Government of Sudan.

Sudan has an important role in tackling the threat of the various extremist groups that operate in region. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Africa Director discussed countering extremism with the Government of Sudan during his visit to Khartoum in March, and we are encouraging them to play a constructive role.

The British Council already has a number of projects in Sudan which aim to strengthen cultural and educational relations. They have over 200 partner schools, engage with over 250,000 people in a national English teacher training programme and have provided English language training to 500 leading journalists. Sudan has also been added as a priority country for the British Council’s new £30m Cultural Protection Fund, and the British Council office in Khartoum is in discussion with a range of partners to develop proposals. Our Embassy in Khartoum also oversees the Chevening scholarship programme for highly talented Sudanese with leadership potential to pursue masters degrees in the UK.

Our objectives in Sudan have not changed. The British Government continues to work with its partners to end the conflicts, improve the serious humanitarian and human rights situation and tackle migration. The launch of the strategic dialogue underlines our commitment to discuss these and other issues with the Government of Sudan.

We welcome the Sudanese Government’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities for the Two Areas last month, and the opposition’s announcement in April. We are aware of recent allegations of breaches and our Ambassador in Khartoum raised this issue with the Chief of Staff for the Sudanese Armed Forces on 18 July who reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding the cessation of hostilities. We continue to call on all sides to ensure the declarations are respected and allow full humanitarian access.

The UK is engaging with the Sudanese Government to tackle the full range of migration issues. As part of the Khartoum Process, we are discussing the challenges faced by all countries in the region, including the Sudan, and we welcome the constructive contribution they have made so far, in particular in hosting a meeting on smuggling and trafficking in May.

Together with our Troika partners, we issued a statement on 27 May supporting the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel. We welcome the Sudanese Government’s signing of the roadmap agreement and continue to urge the opposition to do the same. The UK’s Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan and our Ambassador in Khartoum are in regular contact with the government and opposition groups.