Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to (a) regional leaders in east and central Africa, (b) the African Union and (c) the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to encourage them to increase their focus on South Sudan.

South Sudan's best chance of a more stable and prosperous future remains in the full implementation of the Peace Agreement, brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its members in 2018. Given the important role of the region we remain in close contact to work together to urge the South Sudanese Parties to deliver their commitment to end the conflict. When I visited South Sudan in October 2020, I pushed for political progress in meetings with President Kiir and Vice President Machar, and discussed regional engagement with Ambassador Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Peace Envoy to South Sudan. Most recently the Foreign Secretary and I discussed cooperation on regional stability issues, including South Sudan, with President Kenyatta on 20 January. In addition, the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan meets regularly with African Union, IGAD and regional partners to ensure the South Sudanese deliver progress on the Peace Agreement and tackle the worsening humanitarian situation. This includes meetings with President Kenyatta in January and with President Museveni in December.