Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2378):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of allegations of internally displaced people in South Darfur being abused by the Rapid Support Forces, including allegations of rape, assault and looting; and what steps they are taking with international partners to provide (1) protection, and (2) collect and preserve evidence to bring charges against any perpetrators. (HL2378)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts of Sudan’s report on attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, and in particular of any role of individuals among the RSF and allies in those abuses. (HL2375)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024 - Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking, following the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on the Sudan’s report on the horrific attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, concerning any charges being brought against Abdel Rahman Juma, the West Darfur RSF commander, concerning any involvement in abuses set out in the report. (HL2376)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
The UK condemns the continuing violence and suffering being wrought by the warring parties on the people of Sudan, including in Darfur. We welcome the UN Panel of Experts’ report and look forward to its final publication. The UK remains committed to ensuring that those responsible for atrocities in Sudan are held to account. As well as the work of the UN Panel of Experts, we continue to support the essential work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR) and the International Criminal Court in investigating and documenting reports of atrocities. In addition, on 11 October, the Human Rights Council adopted the UK-led ‘Sudan Core Group’ resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission to ensure credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Sudan will be investigated impartially. The UK is also funding open-source investigation experts to use satellite imagery and social media to verify and preserve information relating to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Date and time of answer: 26 Feb 2024 at 15:58.
====
Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2376):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool :
To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking, following the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on the Sudan’s report on the horrific attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, concerning any charges being brought against Abdel Rahman Juma, the West Darfur RSF commander, concerning any involvement in abuses set out in the report. (HL2376)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts of Sudan’s report on attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, and in particular of any role of individuals among the RSF and allies in those abuses. (HL2375)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024 - Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of allegations of internally displaced people in South Darfur being abused by the Rapid Support Forces, including allegations of rape, assault and looting; and what steps they are taking with international partners to provide (1) protection, and (2) collect and preserve evidence to bring charges against any perpetrators. (HL2378)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
The UK condemns the continuing violence and suffering being wrought by the warring parties on the people of Sudan, including in Darfur. We welcome the UN Panel of Experts’ report and look forward to its final publication. The UK remains committed to ensuring that those responsible for atrocities in Sudan are held to account. As well as the work of the UN Panel of Experts, we continue to support the essential work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR) and the International Criminal Court in investigating and documenting reports of atrocities. In addition, on 11 October, the Human Rights Council adopted the UK-led ‘Sudan Core Group’ resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission to ensure credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Sudan will be investigated impartially. The UK is also funding open-source investigation experts to use satellite imagery and social media to verify and preserve information relating to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Date and time of answer: 26 Feb 2024 at 15:58.
=====
Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2375):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool :
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts of Sudan’s report on attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, and in particular of any role of individuals among the RSF and allies in those abuses. (HL2375)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking, following the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on the Sudan’s report on the horrific attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur, concerning any charges being brought against Abdel Rahman Juma, the West Darfur RSF commander, concerning any involvement in abuses set out in the report. (HL2376)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024 - Lord Alton of Liverpool to ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of allegations of internally displaced people in South Darfur being abused by the Rapid Support Forces, including allegations of rape, assault and looting; and what steps they are taking with international partners to provide (1) protection, and (2) collect and preserve evidence to bring charges against any perpetrators. (HL2378)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
The UK condemns the continuing violence and suffering being wrought by the warring parties on the people of Sudan, including in Darfur. We welcome the UN Panel of Experts’ report and look forward to its final publication. The UK remains committed to ensuring that those responsible for atrocities in Sudan are held to account. As well as the work of the UN Panel of Experts, we continue to support the essential work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan (OHCHR) and the International Criminal Court in investigating and documenting reports of atrocities. In addition, on 11 October, the Human Rights Council adopted the UK-led ‘Sudan Core Group’ resolution to establish an independent and international Fact-Finding Mission to ensure credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Sudan will be investigated impartially. The UK is also funding open-source investigation experts to use satellite imagery and social media to verify and preserve information relating to attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Date and time of answer: 26 Feb 2024 at 15:58.
====
Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL2377):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool :
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any (1) any recent increase in the number of displaced persons from Sudan to the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile region, and (2) the impact on people in that region from crop failures and locust infestations; and what consequences there have been for the delivery of humanitarian aid to that region. (HL2377)
Tabled on: 12 February 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
Sudan currently represents the largest displacement crisis in the world, including almost 9 million people internally displaced. We don’t hold data for more recent influxes or any data for the Nuba Mountain region, but as of 23 January, 127,119 people had fled to Blue Nile and 125,373 to South Kordofan since 15 April 2023. While we don’t hold specific data on crop failures and locust infestations in those regions, we remain aware of acute food insecurity throughout Sudan. The UK calls on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access and we condemn the continuing lack of access. The UK is providing assistance to those in need through our humanitarian aid package of £38 million, as well as £7.75 million in funding for South Sudan, which includes £3.5 million to address food security in the Maban refugee camps.
Date and time of answer: 26 Feb 2024 at 15:39.
====
