Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has investigated allegations that the Government of Sudan has used illegal weaponry in the Nuba mountains.

The British Government is not aware of any recent allegations that the Government of Sudan has used illegal weapons in the Nuba Mountains. We welcome the unilateral cessations of hostilities announced by both the Government of Sudan (expires 31 December 2017) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) (expires 31 January 2018). We have not received any credible reports, including from the SPLM-N, on government violations of their unilateral cessation of hostilities. We continue to urge both sides to constructively engage with the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) peace process in order to agree upon a permanent ceasefire and unfettered humanitarian access.