El Fasher

Baroness Goudie Excerpts

Thursday 30th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for that question. I am happy to confirm that we will continue to press for a ceasefire, support the Quad and, through our role at the UN, promote the priorities that I have set out. I should say that the reports of mass atrocities caused by the RSF in El Fasher are deeply alarming, and we do not in any way underestimate the seriousness of what is going on.

[Baroness Goudie (Lab)]

My Lords, we know that the elections have been postponed. Women leaders and women candidates are already preparing for office. Sudan has a 35% quota for women but, while all this is happening, women are being maimed or violently threatened and are not being allowed to stand and be open about that. What is the penholder doing to ensure that we have women candidates, that women can win and that women will be part of the peace process—otherwise, there will be no stability at all in Sudan and other areas?

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that question. I entirely agree with her view that women must play a full role in the transition that we look forward to in Sudan, although it may be some time coming. On conflict-related sexual violence, which my noble friend refers to, noble Lords will know that we have been dedicating a lot of effort to that issue. We are currently designing a dedicated women and girls programme on gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, which assures a strategic approach to gender mainstreaming, and we have new humanitarian programmes that will provide dedicated resources to women-led organisations. I should say to my noble friend that we are also concerned about reports of sexual violence against men and boys in the area.