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 expedite his Department’s (a) mapping and (b) sanctioning of international flows of arms and money in Sudan.

There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which we renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place from the existing EU arms embargo on the whole of Sudan from 1994, operating under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act (2018). These regimes have been used to constrain the flow of weapons into the country and support efforts to stop those who pose a threat to stability in Darfur. The UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur will be reviewed by September 2024.

In response to the ongoing conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan, on 12 July, the Minister for Development and Africa announced a package of six sanctions under the UK's Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 and a further five as part of a wider package against Wagner activities in Africa. We do not speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their effectiveness.