PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Darfur: Armed Conflict (14 April 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) accuracy of claims made on 8 April 2021 by the Governor of West Darfur, Mohamed Abdullah al-Doma, that foreign militias are involved in violence in Darfur and (b) origins of those militias.

Asked by:
Dame Harriett Baldwin (Conservative)

The UK is deeply concerned by the violence in Geneina, West Darfur. This is part of a worrying trend of intercommunal violence across Darfur, which we are monitoring. We are also concerned by reports of the involvement of foreign militias but are not able to verify these claims as the area remains highly insecure. We have called for an end to the violence and for immediate humanitarian access. We have also urged the Government of Sudan to: deliver their commitment to assume full responsibility for the Protection of Civilians; implement swiftly their National Plan for Civilian Protection; and to implement the Juba Peace Agreement, particularly provisions relating to security arrangements.

We welcome the Government of Sudan's open engagement on the issue of Geneina intercommunal violence and willingness to acknowledge the security challenge they face. This includes at a UK-requested briefing with the UN Security Council on 14 April, where Sudan outlined their commitment to dispatch security forces to the area, to expedite humanitarian assistance, and acknowledged the need to work with the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (UNITAMS) to address Protection of Civilian issues.

Answered by:
Sir James Duddridge (Conservative)
21 April 2021