§ Mr. McWalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he is taking to make the Sudanese government more mindful of the rights of the people of Southern Sudan. [44125]
§ Mr. FatchettWe continue to put pressure on the Government of Sudan to respond to the concerns of the international community about human rights violations in Sudan. The UK co-sponsored the UNHCR resolution which was passed by the 54th session of the Commission on Human Rights on 21 April 1998 and was highly critical of the Sudanese Government.
The UK has long supported the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process as the best chance to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan through a comprehensive negotiated settlement that respects the rights of all Sudanese.
As Presidency we issued an EU Declaration on 1 May which voiced European concerns and called for an immediate cease-fire. At UK instigation, Sudan was discussed at the UN Security Council on 5 May, and a press statement was made by the President expressing the UN's concerns. As a next step, we have pressed for an early meeting of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development Partnership Forum. I shall represent the UK at a meeting in The Hague on 18 June.