§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the human rights situation in the Sudan. [153993]
§ Mr. MullinWe monitor closely the human rights situation in Sudan. The application of "Hudud" (amputation) punishments and suppression of freedom of the press are issues that we raise regularly with the government. But we are also particularly concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Darfur, western Sudan, where fighting continues.
The promotion of human rights through advocacy with the government and support for Non Governmental Organisations remains one of our priorities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development discussed the human rights situation with the President of Sudan and others during his visit to Khartoum on 10 December 2003.