Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces have been deployed to the Nuba Mountains; and what steps they have taken, if any, to ensure citizens of the Nuba Mountains are protected from violent conflict and human rights abuses.

We are aware of reports of the Sudanese Armed Forces being redeployed outside of the Safe Demilitarised Buffer zone in the border area of Sudan and South Sudan since October 2018 and are monitoring the situation. We continue to press all sides involved in the longstanding conflict in the Nuba Mountains – both government and rebel groups – to engage positively to reach an agreement for a lasting peace. We raised this frequently with the Sudanese authorities and will continue to do so. Human rights and conflict resolution remain key priorities for our engagement in Sudan.