PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Sudan: Violence (14 October 2019)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Sudanese counterpart on ensuring accountability for the violence in Khartoum on 3 June 2019.

Asked by:
Dame Harriett Baldwin (Conservative)

The UK has consistently made clear to the Sudanese authorities that there must be justice and accountability for crimes committed by the former regime, including the violence against peaceful protesters on 3 June. We welcome the Sudanese commitment to an independent investigation into these events and urge the Sudanese authorities to deliver this swiftly.

We regularly discuss the human rights situation in Sudan and the issue of accountability with Sudanese counterparts. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State responsible for human rights, did so with the Sudanese Ambassador to London on 5 August, and the UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva did so with the Sudanese Minister for Justice in the margins of the September UN Human Rights Council. We continue to do so regularly at official level. This is underpinned by our statement at the Human Rights Council on 25 September, where we publicly welcomed the formation of an independent committee of inquiry into the events of 3 June and urged all parties to ensure these investigations are independent and transparent.

Answered by:
Andrew Stephenson (Conservative)
21 October 2019