Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to instigate an assessment of the signs of atrocities in Darfur; and what plans they have to commission a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability strategic assessment to investigate (1) whether crimes against humanity are being committed, and (2) whether these crimes could develop into genocide.

The UK and Germany completed a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) on Sudan in 2019. This was used by the UK to help support conflict resolution mechanisms, create a supportive regional environment and improve governance by supporting fair power structures. Whilst we have not commissioned a recent JACS on Sudan, the UK continues to work closely with a wide range of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on understanding atrocity prevention, early warning and early response systems.

The UK also remains a staunch advocate for justice and accountability for past crimes, something the former Foreign Secretary urged Sudan's leaders to deliver progress on during his visit to Khartoum in January 2021. The Minister for Africa welcomed the start of Ali Kushayb's trial on 5 April in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. We hope that this trial marks a wider process of accountability and reconciliation in Sudan. We continue to support the International Criminal Court Prosecutor in his important work to investigate crimes in Darfur and regularly raise concerns of human rights abuses in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council. On 7 July, we successful secured a resolution to maintain monitoring and reporting on human rights violations at the UN Human Rights Council.