Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help secure (a) effective civilian leadership for Sudan’s transition to democracy and (b) consensus-building between pro-democracy movements and the military following the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok on 2 January 2022.

Sudan has been on a delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to potential freedom and democracy following the August 2019 Constitutional Declaration, signed by the Sudanese military and the civilian Forces of Freedom and Change political movement. Despite progress on economic reforms and peace talks since then, fractures between different political actors, including relating to the role of the military in government, have led to a political crisis, including the military coup of 25 October 2021, significant protests against the military, and the resignation of Abdallah Hamdok as Prime Minister on 2 January.

Abdallah Hamdok has played a major role in leading Sudan's democratic and economic reforms. His resignation underscores the urgent need for all Sudanese political actors to re-commit to the country's democratic transition, to work together, and to deliver the civilian rule millions continue to call for. The Troika (UK, Norway, US) and EU issued a statement on 4 January urging the Sudanese military and other actors to engage in an immediate, Sudanese-led and internationally facilitated dialogue to secure a lasting solution to the political crisis. Since the coup, British Embassy staff in Khartoum, the UK Special Representative to Sudan and South Sudan and FCDO officials have engaged with all parties to encourage dialogue and demonstrate UK support for the democratic transition. With our international partners, we will continue to urge all parties to work on the basis of the 2019 Constitutional Declaration to overcome the political crisis and deliver the Sudanese people's demands for freedom, peace and justice.