Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the seriousness of the risk of atrocities in Kas in the South Darfur state of Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK condemns the continuing violence and suffering being wrought by the warring parties on the people of Sudan, including in South Darfur. The UK remains committed to ensuring that those responsible for these serious atrocities in Sudan are held to account. The UK welcomed the publication of the Panel of Experts report in early March. The credible evidence of external military support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) highlighted in the report is concerning. As well as the work of the UN Panel of Experts, we continue to support the essential work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR) and the International Criminal Court in investigating and documenting reports of these serious atrocities. In addition, on 11 October, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted the UK-led 'Sudan Core Group' resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission to ensure credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Sudan will be investigated impartially. The HRC joint statement on behalf of 44 counties also reinforces UK support for better humanitarian access and a ceasefire in Sudan.