Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support democracy in South Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

The UK released a joint Troika (UK, USA, Norway) statement in June emphasising the need for the Government of South Sudan to meet commitments in their Peace Agreement without delay. During a meeting in May with the South Sudanese Minister for Presidential Affairs and a call with the South Sudanese Acting Foreign Minister in July, the FCDO's Minister for Africa also stressed the need for progress towards democratic elections. In the 2022/23 UN peacekeeping financial year, the UK provided £54.5 million to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, who are mandated to support preparations for elections. We also fund a peacebuilding programme and the placement of technical experts in the ceasefire and peace agreement implementation monitoring mechanisms.