Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support civil society capacity-building programmes in South Sudan.

Civil Society Organisations have an important role to play in South Sudan by holding the Government and other actors to account. The UK continues to support civil society peace-building initiatives in South Sudan, including by providing funding to the South Sudanese Council of Churches (SSCC). The SSCC, which comprises the seven main churches, have developed an Action Plan for Peace. This includes reconciliation and mediation efforts, and support for inclusive dialogue within and across communities. UK funding is enabling the SSCC to lead mediation and reconciliation efforts between national level leaders who have the power to stop the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

More widely, the UK is working to empower non-armed actors in South Sudan to participate effectively in the High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF), including work with local peacebuilding organisations. We welcomed the involvement of representatives from South Sudanese civil society in the first round of the HLRF in December, and encourage their continued inclusion as the process progresses.