Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking as a member of the Core Group of the Expanded Mechanism under the leadership of the African Union to help ensure that tangible measures are taken by the African Union to tackle the conflict in Sudan.

The UK believes the African Union is best placed to coordinate an African-led international response to the crisis in Sudan. As a member of the African Union-led Core Group, the UK is working with regional and international partners to end hostilities in Sudan, push for urgently needed humanitarian access, particularly in Khartoum and Darfur, and to secure a viable peace process, including support for the emergence of an all-inclusive civilian and political platform for dialogue on a future vision for Sudan. We will continue to pursue all diplomatic avenues to secure an end to the violence, protection of civilians and humanitarian access. We urge both parties to the conflict to engage in an inclusive dialogue that will deliver a political transition to a democratic process as called for by the Sudanese people.