HL Deb 09 November 1998 vol 594 cc75-6WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the parties in conflict in the Sudan have extended the ceasefire due to expire on 15 October; and whether the ceasefire is being extended outside the region of Bahr el Ghazal, as requested by UNICEF and the World Food Programme. [HL3597]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Fatchett, visited Nairobi and Khartoum in July to encourage the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Government of Sudan (GoS) to accept a proposal for a limited ceasefire in the most hunger-affected areas of the Sudan. Their agreement during his visit to a three-month ceasefire in the Bahr el Ghazal was a welcome first step.

Following further discussions, on 9 and 12 October respectively, the SPLA and Government of Sudan agreed to extend the ceasefire in Bahr el Ghazal by a further three months. This will further assist the aid effort in the region and, we hope, will also give confidence to the two parties to pursue broader peace negotiations within the IGAD framework.