Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe regarding the continued detention of opposition Members of Parliament (1) Job Sikhala, and (2) Godfrey Sithole.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is monitoring the ongoing detention of opposition Members of Parliament Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole in Zimbabwe. The former Minister for Africa met with the Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe on 30 June and reiterated the importance of all political parties respecting the rule of law, refraining from violence and respecting the right of others to campaign freely ahead of upcoming elections in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regarding the continued detention of Zimbabwe opposition Members of Parliament (1) Job Sikhala, and (2) Godfrey Sithole.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is monitoring the ongoing detention of opposition Members of Parliament Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole in Zimbabwe. The former Minister for Africa met with the Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe on 30 June and reiterated the importance of all political parties respecting the rule of law, refraining from violence and respecting the right of others' to campaign freely ahead of upcoming elections in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches rural areas in Tigray.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The conflict in northern Ethiopia has contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, leaving 13 million people in Tigray, Amhara and Afar requiring humanitarian assistance. The UK has provided more than £80 million to respond to the humanitarian crises Ethiopia since November 2020. Our support has reached civilians across the country including in conflict areas, drought affected areas, and to refugees. UK support has gone towards water and sanitation, health and nutrition, child protection and gender-based violence prevention and response, livelihoods, logistics, communications, and technical expertise seconded to the UN.
The return to conflict, including the seizure of fuel by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from the World Food Programme, makes the work of humanitarian agencies more difficult. The UK, working closely with international partners and the UN, is urging all parties to the conflict to guarantee unfettered humanitarian access by immediately ceasing hostilities and allowing aid in.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with international partners over the renewed conflict in Ethiopia.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The breakdown of the truce and return to conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Government is catastrophic for the people of Ethiopia. It risks tens of thousands of deaths, both directly through fighting and indirectly through a further deepening of the already dire humanitarian situation. 22 months since fighting began, it is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict.
The UK is heavily involved in international efforts to de-escalate conflict, stressing the need for a political solution, humanitarian access and accountability for atrocities. We support the African Union's mediation efforts to this end, and encourage a redoubling of these efforts to avert further escalation. The UK urges Tigrayan troops to leave Amhara and Eritrean troops to leave Tigray. We urge the Ethiopian Government to restore services to Tigray and both parties to begin direct talks without preconditions. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa is engaging with all parties to the conflict to deliver these messages.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the status of the humanitarian truce between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The breakdown of the truce and return to conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Government is catastrophic for the people of Ethiopia. It risks tens of thousands of deaths, both directly through fighting and indirectly through a further deepening of the already dire humanitarian situation. 22 months since fighting began, it is clear that there is no military solution to the conflict.
The UK is heavily involved in international efforts to de-escalate conflict, stressing the need for a political solution, humanitarian access and accountability for atrocities. We support the African Union's mediation efforts to this end, and encourage a redoubling of these efforts to avert further escalation. The UK urges Tigrayan troops to leave Amhara and Eritrean troops to leave Tigray. We urge the Ethiopian Government to restore services to Tigray and both parties to begin direct talks without preconditions. Our Embassy in Addis Ababa is engaging with all parties to the conflict to deliver these messages.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe regarding (1) the abduction and murder of opposition political activist Moreblessing Ali, and (2) the steps being taken by the Zimbabwe authorities to investigate this.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Minister for Africa and I [Lord Goldsmith] were appalled to hear of the murder of Moreblessing Ali. The British Ambassador in Zimbabwe publicly expressed her sadness at this tragic news and passed on our condolences to Moreblessing's family and friends. It is important that the Zimbabwe police continue to investigate her murder to establish the facts, and those behind this terrible crime are brought to justice. The Minister for Africa recently wrote to Foreign Minister Shava to reiterate the importance of demonstrable progress on the human rights and political reforms that the President of Zimbabwe committed to in his inauguration speech in November 2017.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to lead an international response to prevent widespread famine in (1) East Africa, and (2) the Horn of Africa.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The humanitarian situation across the Horn and East of Africa is extremely concerning. Conflict and drought are the main causes of humanitarian need. The region is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in history with more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia assessed to be acutely food insecure, according to the UN. Nearly 500,000 people in Ethiopia and Somalia are experiencing famine-like conditions.
The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the region. In 2022 the UK has provided £72 million to support more than one million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan affected by conflict, drought and flooding. Across the region UK funded humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. In Kenya the UK is providing 26,000 children with life-saving nutritional support. In Ethiopia a further 200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions will receive similar aid. The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised roughly US$400 million in new funding.
Our response to the drought builds on long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals as a part of our emergency humanitarian response.