Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has of the freedom (a) of the press, (b) of expression and (c) of association in Sudan since 19 November 2021.

Despite progress on economic reforms and peace talks since the 2019 revolution in Sudan, fractures between different political actors 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. 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.

The situation in Sudan puts at risk the significant achievements made in freedom of the press, of expression, and of association since the 2019 revolution. We have consistently raised our concern at, and called for an end to, detentions of activists and journalists since the coup, most recently in the 4 January statement. We have also repeatedly called for the Sudanese people to be able to protest and express their views without fear of violence, including through statements the Foreign Secretary and I made, and in international fora such as the UN Security Council and G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting. It remains essential that the right to peaceful protest is protected and accountability for any violations is delivered.