Members of the UK Parliament have urged the government to step up efforts to achieve a breakthrough in Sudan, warning that “global attention has drifted away” from the deadly civil war raging since 2023, Politico reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the UK government faces growing pressure to help negotiate a resolution as the official “penholder” on Sudan at the UN Security Council, while also being scrutinized over reports that the RSF has used British-made military equipment amid widespread accusations of genocide.
Politico said the RSF has been accused of atrocities, including a massacre of civilians during its recent takeover of El-Fasher in West Darfur.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum expressed fears that Sudan is slipping down the list of global priorities.
Labour MP David Taylor warned: “This forgotten war has claimed countless innocent lives. While the UK has shown leadership, international attention has waned. As the UN penholder on Sudan, Britain has a moral duty to double down on its diplomacy and push for a lasting solution. Every weapon smuggled into Sudan means more wasted lives.”
The paper reported that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will discuss the issue with her U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio during the G7 foreign ministers’ summit in Canada.
Former Development Secretary and Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell said the UK must use all its diplomatic tools “to stop arms flows to both sides and end the ethnic cleansing and massacres of civilians.”
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Monica Harding reiterated her party’s call for a comprehensive arms embargo on all entities supporting the RSF.
Politico added that the RSF had recently agreed to a U.S.-proposed humanitarian ceasefire, while the Sudanese army-led government had yet to respond, and fighting continued.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “The suffering in Sudan must end. We are appalled by reports of atrocities in Darfur, including mass executions, starvation, and sexual violence. The UK remains committed to using every tool at its disposal to help end the war.”
The spokesperson added that there are no current export licenses for the military equipment in question and that previous applications had been denied over concerns of diversion to the conflict.
