Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to support (a) evidence preservation and (b) international investigations relating to alleged atrocities in El Geneina, Sudan since 15 April 2023; and whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in the (i) African Union, (ii) United Nations and (iii) other countries and international organisations on those alleged atrocities and ensuring civilian protection.

The UK strongly condemns the deliberate attacks and human rights violations and abuses against civilians in West Darfur, Sudan, as well as the killing of the West Darfur Governor, Khamis Abaker. We will continue to raise our concerns over human rights violations in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council. The UK has released funding to organisations who are working with local partners to collect, verify and preserve digital content from the conflict, including incidents of significant abuses. This will play a vital role in amplifying the voices of those who are being targeted and would be permissible in future accountability mechanisms should they be established. The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including Ministerial engagement with regional counterparts, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and African Union (AU) to end the violence and de-escalate tensions in Sudan.