Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to suggest that the United Nations conducts an inquiry into the reported failure of the United Nations Mission in Darfur to report allegations received on 4 November of mass rape carried out between 31 October and 2 November in Tabit, Sudan.

The UN African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has stated that it was denied access by Government of Sudan forces when UNAMID tried to visit Tabit on 4 November. We are aware of other reports claiming UNAMID did gain access on 4 November but we have not seen evidence to support these claims. The UK is not at this time pushing for an inquiry into UNAMID’s actions on 4 November. We note that UNAMID was granted access to Tabit on 9 November, but are concerned by reports that their investigations took place under the close observation of Sudanese security officials. We urge both UNAMID and the Government of Sudan to immediately take forward their investigations so that the full facts around the deeply disturbing allegation of mass rape in Tabit can be established.