§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have studied the outcome of the recent Umma Party of Sudan Congress in Eritrea; what is their assessment of (a) its potential significance as a record of the aspirations of the Islamic Anseris; and (b) how the expressed objectives on ethnic pluralism, enhancement of democracy and support for the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) might be mobilised to accelerate the peace process. [HL1922]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanSudanese political parties like the UMMA party have an important role to play and we follow closely the evolution of Sudanese public opinion. We support the need for a comprehensive negotiated settlement that respects the rights of all Sudanese. This support has been made clear to both sides in the civil war and recently reinforced through our lobbying of countries in the region prior to the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace talks held in Nairobi on 2–6 May. To maintain the talks momentum, we are presently discussing with members of the IGAD Partners Forum the convening of an urgent meeting of the Forum. The intention is to follow up on the outcome of the 2–6 May talks.