The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 4th September 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how much aid they have provided to South Sudan since the start of the conflict in that country earlier this year.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The 2018 Peace Agreement has prevented a return to large-scale national conflict in South Sudan, though there have been instances of sub-national violence this year. The Government of South Sudan need to ensure the Peace Agreement is implemented in full in order to bring justice and a lasting end to conflict to the people of South Sudan. The UK Government will provide £47 million of development assistance to South Sudan in the financial year (FY) 2023/24, and plans to increase this figure to £111 million in FY 2024/25. This assistance funds crucial health, education, humanitarian and peacebuilding work in South Sudan, as well as the placement of technical experts in both the ceasefire and Peace Agreement implementation monitoring mechanisms.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) Sudanese Armed Forces, (2) Rapid Support Forces, and (3) the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North, about the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK officials have had various contacts with representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPMN-N) factions and other groups. In these contacts, we have demanded that the warring parties respect calls for a ceasefire, engage in a meaningful peace process and grant immediate humanitarian access. The UK is working with a range of international partners, including counterparts from the Quad (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, US), African and European countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU) and the UN, to get the parties to the negotiating table and end hostilities in Sudan. On 12 July, we announced a package of six sanctions under the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, freezing the assets of three commercial entities linked to each party involved in the conflict. These sanctions target entities which the SAF and RSF have used to support their war efforts and are designed to press the parties to allow humanitarian assistance, end the violence and engage in a meaningful and sustained progress to peace.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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