PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
East Africa: Conflict Resolution (8 November 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department spent on peace building programmes in (a) Sudan, (b) South Sudan and (c) Ethiopia in (i) 2018-19, (ii) 2019-20 and (iii) 2020-21; and what the projected spending is on those programmes in 2021-22.

Asked by:
Fleur Anderson (Labour)

In Sudan, the UK provided over £12 million to support peacebuilding through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) from 2018 to 2021 (£4.3 million in 2018, £5.1 million in 2019/20, and £2.7 million in 2020/21). The CSSF supported a range of interventions related to community security, local peacebuilding and combatting sexual and gender-based violence. This funding focused on enhancing peacebuilding efforts through; developing and sharing better evidence and best practice for those working on peacebuilding; improving the human rights situation and access to justice; and supporting Sudan peace negotiations in Juba. We are reviewing our assistance (with the exception of humanitarian aid) in light of the military coup on 25 October.

In South Sudan, between April 2018 and March 2021, the UK provided £14.6 million in CSSF funding related to peacebuilding activities. This includes the South Sudan 'Peacebuilding Opportunities Fund' (POF), which has funded inter-community peace dialogues in four areas of the country since 2019. In 2021, the POF supported mediation efforts in Jonglei, one of South Sudan's most conflict-affected areas, and culminated in the Pieri Action for Peace Agreement. Implementation of this so far has led to a significantly lower level of conflict than in previous years and improved inter-communal relations. The UK has provided £3.1 million of support to the POF to date. The project continues until March 2022, and the budget for the final year (April 2021-March 2022) is £1 million.

In Ethiopia, UK CSSF has funded peacebuilding NGO Conciliation Resources to support peacebuilding efforts in Somali Regional State. Between 2019-2021, this programme spent £1.325 million and supported structures and processes to sustainably resolve violent conflicts between communities. This included providing advice to former armed groups (notably the Ogadan National Liberation Front) as they transition to participate in Ethiopian party politics, the development of a Peace and Unity Council, the establishment of a Regional Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and support to survivors of human rights abuses. Based on the success of the programme, this work is being developed further with an additional £500,000 allocated for June 2021-March 2022.

Answered by:
Vicky Ford (Conservative)
19 November 2021