Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Human Rights Watch's report From Bogotá to El Fasher: The UAE’s Role in the Deployment of Colombian Fighters and Other Backing to the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, published on May 25 2026.
As we have stated on numerous occasions, including the Urgent Question debate on 5 November 2025, the Government remains extremely concerned about reports of external support to the warring parties in Sudan, and we have repeatedly called on all international actors to end the supply of weapons, finance, and personnel, and use whatever influence they have to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 February set out the action taken against those accused of procuring Colombian mercenaries to train and fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as those involved in funding the RSF's activities. To date, we have sanctioned 24 individuals and entities aligned with or backing the warring parties.
Last year, we worked closely with international partners to secure the renewal of the long-standing UN arms embargo on Darfur. The UK will support its further renewal in September and will continue to push for the embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. We expect all countries to comply with their obligations under UN sanctions regimes.