Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the African Union, (b) United Nations Security Council members, (c) the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, (d) states neighbouring Sudan and the Gulf of Arabia , and (e) other international partners on the (i) prospects for and (ii) potential impact of a peacekeeping force in Sudan with a mandate including civilian protection and humanitarian access.

The UK Government is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including Ministerial engagement with counterparts from African, Quad (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US) and European countries and Security Council member states, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and United Nations to end the violence and de-escalate tensions in Sudan. As penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, the UK will lead the renewal of the mandate for the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Working with Council Members, we will ensure that UNITAMS has an effective mandate to address the situation on the ground.