Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Human Rights and Religious Minorities: Sudan

23 February 2023 · 6 other contributors · 12,599 words

Opened by Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

Responding minister: Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Foreign AffairsReligion & Faith

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Jim Shannon raised concerns about human rights and religious minorities: sudan in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Jim Shannon highlighted the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Sudan, including Christians, Shi'a Muslims, Jews, and Baha'is, noting increased human rights abuses since the military coup in October 2021.
  • Mr Shannon requested an analysis of conflict and stability in Sudan, measures to ensure fair access to UK aid for religious minority communities, and a joint assessment on Sudan's legitimacy as part of the UN Human Rights Council.
  • The minister acknowledged progress made in Sudan after the 2019 revolution, including abolishing apostasy laws and declaring Christmas a national holiday, but noted that the situation has deteriorated following the coup.

Key requests to Government

Mr Shannon requested several actions: an analysis of conflict and stability in Sudan, measures to ensure fair access to UK aid for religious minority communities, and a joint assessment on Sudan's legitimacy as part of the UN Human Rights Council. He also asked if the FCDO had undertaken a joint analysis of conflict and stability and when it would be available.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

Mr Jim Shannon highlighted the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Sudan, including Christians, Shi'a Muslims, Jews, and Baha'is. He noted a significant rollback of freedoms since the military coup in October 2021, resulting in increased human rights abuses, arrests, torture, and killings. The country's re-election to the UN Human Rights Council was questioned given these abuses. There are more than 900 reported deaths from land seizures, echoing conditions that led to the Darfur genocide.

Other contributors (6)
  • Fiona Bruce Con Congleton

    Asked the Government about their actions taken to address human rights concerns in Sudan since the coup, including support for religious freedom and steps towards legal and constitutional reforms. Emphasised the importance of following up on previous statements with concrete action.

  • Kirsten Oswald SNP West Tyrone

    Ms. Oswald highlighted the importance of focusing on the negative aspects of freedom of religion or belief in Sudan post-military coup, noting significant increases in attacks targeting religious minorities since 2019. She mentioned that 117 people were killed and nearly 6,000 injured by state security forces by September 2022. She expressed concern over the situation of women and girls, who are particularly vulnerable to rape, forced marriage, and domestic violence, especially if they are Christian converts. Kirsten Oswald asked the Minister for more information regarding Sudan's situation within the UN and the challenges of enforcement on the ground.

  • Lyn Brown Lab West Ham

    Sudanese Christians face continued abuse, with 2,000 churches unofficially recognized and only 30 new ones officially recognized over 67 years. Inequality before the law is widespread, affecting religious minorities including Shi'a Muslims and Baha'is. The UN's humanitarian response received just 43% of needed funding in 2022, leading to ongoing intercommunal violence. Sudanese women face targeted sexual assault as a political weapon. Lyn Brown inquired whether the Minister would relay to the Foreign Secretary the suggestion of mirroring sanctions against the central reserve police, asking for a commitment from the Minister.

  • Margaret Ferrier SNP Rutherglen and Hamilton West

    Sudan made important strides in upholding human rights and freedom of religion following the 2019 revolution, but this progress is now at risk after the military coup. The hon. Gentleman agrees that the UK Government should urge the authorities to protect the rights of the Sudanese people as a priority. Intercommunal clashes have flared up and the UN special adviser is concerned that violence is being incited by hate speech on social media. She believes social media platforms must do more to monitor and remove hateful content.

  • Liana Elliot intervention

    An intervention from Ms Liana Elliot noted that it is disheartening to see a country re-elected to a position of responsibility while committing significant human rights violations, such as the genocide in Darfur and ongoing abuses.

  • Patrick Grady SNP Glasgow North

    The hon. Member for Glasgow North (Patrick Grady) highlighted the worsening situation for religious minorities in Sudan, including increased persecution and attacks on places of worship since the military coup. He questioned the legitimacy of Sudan's membership in the UN Human Rights Council given ongoing human rights abuses. The hon. Member is concerned about the deterioration of human rights in Sudan and the persecution faced by religious minorities, particularly Christians. He mentioned that Sudan has dropped back onto Open Doors' top 10 list of countries where freedom of religion is most threatened. Grady also highlighted the impact of UK aid cuts on efforts to prevent violence and abuse of human rights.

Government Response

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate and for bringing attention to the human rights situation in Sudan, particularly regarding freedom of religion or belief. Under al-Bashir's regime, Sudan saw severe restrictions on these freedoms; however, after the 2019 revolution, significant progress was made with reforms such as abolishing apostasy laws, improving legal protections against torture, and declaring Christmas a national holiday. Since the coup in October 2021, the situation has regressed, with human rights abuses increasing, including arbitrary detentions, violence against protesters, and religious persecution. The UK withdrew development support following the coup but continues humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts to promote political settlement and civilian governance. Progress has been limited since December 2022 with some initial framework agreements signed towards reinstating a civilian-led Government. However, women's rights remain under threat with incidents of sexual and gender-based violence persisting. The UK is engaging in international diplomacy at the UN Security Council to address these issues while advocating for human rights protections and accountability for violators.

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