Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing financial sanctions on (a) Omdurman National Bank and (b) Al-Khalij Bank in the context of their association with factions in the war in Sudan.

In response to the ongoing conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan, on 12 July I announced a package of six sanctions under the UK's Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. The UK has imposed an asset freeze on three commercial entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and three commercial entities linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as the two main parties to the conflict. These sanctions, which target entities which the SAF and RSF have used to support their war efforts, are designed to press the parties into a permanent ceasefire, allow unfettered humanitarian access and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.