Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support or promote the church's peace and reconciliation efforts in South Sudan following the ecumenical visit with Pope Francis in February.

The UK endorses the messages of the Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Moderator of the Church of Scotland during their historic visit to Juba in February 2023. The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) must stop violence, end corruption, and deliver justice and services for their people. The Minister of State for Development and Africa [Andrew Mitchell] met with the Archbishop of Canterbury in April 2023 to discuss the Church's role in promoting peace and tackling poverty in South Sudan. On Friday 22 September, I met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, alongside the Troika and guarantors of South Sudan's Peace Agreement. Despite a lack of political will from the GoSS, international and regional efforts for peace must be sustained - corruption needs to be tackled and civil society must be empowered.