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 with international partners to end the conflict in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan, now into its third year, remains a priority for the UK and the Foreign Secretary. In the months following the April London Sudan Conference UK Ministers and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have been working to sustain momentum and ensure Sudan remains in the spotlight. Our efforts have included joining the EU-convened Consultative Group on Sudan in June, alongside key partners, to progress shared aims on ending the violence and improving humanitarian access. In the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where the UK is penholder on Sudan, we have consistently called for an end to the fighting, the protection of civilians, and unimpeded humanitarian access. On 13 August, with African partners and Guyana, the UK led a UNSC press statement calling for respect of international law and rejecting moves to form parallel governments, which will only prolong the conflict. We will continue to use all diplomatic levers working in concert with international partners to encourage the warring parties to return to the negotiating table and commit to a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire in Sudan.