HC Deb 25 July 1997 vol 298 cc800-1W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the United Nations to establish a slave tracing programme to identify the location of slaves in Sudan and to bring about a reunion with their families. [10669]

Mr. Fatchett

The United Nations, through UNICEF, already has a programme to reunite families in Sudan. We fully support that programme and others with the same objective.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent dialogue he has had with representatives of Sudan's National Democratic Alliance; and how he intends to support their efforts. [10670]

Mr. Fatchett

I met the former Prime Minister, Sadiq al Mahdi, and an accompanying delegation on 19 May. Officials are in regular touch with representatives of the National Democratic Alliance in line with our policy of keeping open links to all sides in Sudan. We sympathise with many of the NDA's concerns about the present Government in Khartoum. But we have no plans to support their efforts, which focus on overthrowing that Government.