Conflict in Sudan

Baroness Berger Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war is extraordinary and has almost become normalised in this conflict. We will work through our partner agencies, in particular the UN but others too, to make sure that evidence is gathered and testimonies are taken in the right way that means they can be used when proceedings are able to be brought—soon, I hope.

[Baroness Berger (Lab)]

My Lords, earlier this year, UNICEF released a report entitled Sudan’s Child Rape and Sexual Violence Crisis, which gave some harrowing accounts of armed men raping and sexually assaulting children as young as one. I listened very closely to what my noble friend the Minister said. Specifically, what is British aid doing either to support those children who have already been victims or to ensure that no future child is affected in Sudan in this way?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

My noble friend is right. Some of the accounts that we have heard are completely harrowing. I will never forget being told some of these stories, sitting in a tent in Adré and looking into the eyes of a mother who told me her account of what has happened. We need to make sure that accountability is achieved. We also need to make sure that we work with some of those armed groups, even now, to try to make the case—futile though that often seems, you have to start somewhere—for the need to adhere to international humanitarian law. That is not happening by any stretch of the imagination at the moment. We are clear about what we stand for and on the rules of conflict that we expect, but this is not going to stop until the leaders of these armed groups decide that they would prefer a political solution, which involves dialogue, coming to a conclusion and the election of a civilian Government. These things feel a very long way off at the moment, but until they are achieved we will continue to see the darkest shade of hell that I have ever had to bear witness to. I fear for what happens to those communities in Sudan, particularly those women and those very young children.