Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3363):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the military coup in Sudan, (2) the location and treatment of Prime Minister Hamdok and other arrested senior members of the civilian administration, and (3) the condemnation of the coup by the government of the United States of America; and what plans they have, if any, to negotiate a trade deal with Sudan. (HL3363)
Tabled on: 25 October 2021
Answer:
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park:
We strongly condemn the actions of the Sudanese military on 25 October to detain Prime Minister Hamdok and members of the civilian government, declare a state of emergency and unilaterally dissolve the transitional government. The Minister for Africa condemned this act in the strongest terms in the House of Commons on 25 October. We have since made public statements, including as the Troika with US/Norway on 26 October, calling for the restoration of transitional institutions, release of detainees and protection of civilians. Over the past two years, the UK has taken a leading role to support Sudan on their delicate path from oppressive autocratic rule to freedom and democracy. The actions of the military represents a betrayal of the Sudanese people and their journey to democracy. We urge Sudan’s military leadership to reverse their course, to release detained politicians, and to ensure Sudanese people can protest without fear of violence.
Prime Minister Hamdok has been released but is currently under house arrest. As a signal of support, our Ambassador and other senior members of the diplomatic community in Khartoum met with Prime Minister Hamdok on 27 October and were able ascertain that he is well, notwithstanding the circumstances, but still detained. The whereabouts and condition of other civilian members of the transitional government are still unknown.
Economic recovery remains a vital part of delivering stability for Sudan and the transitional goals of the agreement made between all sides in 2019. During her recent visit to Khartoum the Minister for Africa had the opportunity to discuss ways in which to improve the business environment and the role businesses can play in the success of the transition. We will consider the future of such engagement in light of the actions of the Sudanese military.
Date and time of answer: 04 Nov 2021 at 17:39.
