Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held discussions with her counterparts in (a) Ethiopia and (b) Eritrea on ending aerial and ground bombardment of civilians in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The former Minister for Development visited Ethiopia on 19-20 October. She met Ethiopia President Sahle-Work and Deputy Prime Minister Demeke and raised the protection of civilians. The British Ambassador to Eritrea has regularly raised human rights issues, and the impact of its involvement in the war in northern Ethiopia on civilians, with the Eritrean Government. The indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas, no matter the weapon used, is against international law, and is unacceptable We have made numerous public statements urging all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians. We welcome the 2 November peace agreement.