Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Ethiopian counterpart on evidence published by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab on the use of Ethiopian National Defence Force facilities near Asosa by the Rapid Support Forces as a base from which to launch attacks in the Blue Nile State in Sudan; and what information her Department holds on whether there have been arms shipments to those engaged in fighting in the Darfur region.

The UK continues to monitor the evolving situation between Ethiopia and Sudan closely. Any further escalation would risk destabilising the region and carries a high risk of human rights abuses and atrocities. The Foreign Secretary discussed the conflict with the Ethiopian Prime Minister during her visit to Addis Ababa in February, and the Minister of State for International Development and Africa reiterated these messages in a call with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister on 25 March.

During the Foreign Secretary's statement to the United Nations Security Council on 19 February, she made clear that "We urgently need an end to arms flows. Reports into breaches of the UN arms embargo, which we agree should be extended and enforced, must be investigated." We continue to emphasise to all parties the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict and urge those with influence over the warring parties to bring them to the negotiating table to seek a political resolution.

We also expect all countries to comply with their obligations under United Nations sanctions regimes, including upholding the UN Arms Embargo on Darfur, and will continue to work closely with Security Council partners and the UN Panel of Experts to support effective monitoring and enforcement.