Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : UK statement on developments in Yemen [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 April 2023.

The UK has issued a statement on the growing momentum towards securing peace in Yemen.

FCDO Spokesperson:

Efforts to secure peace in Yemen are gaining momentum. The country has experienced reduced levels of conflict for more than a year and Yemenis can travel more freely. The recent visit to Sana’a by the Saudi and Omani delegations, led by Saudi Ambassador Mohammad al Jaber, represents progress in efforts to secure a formal ceasefire and ultimately end the eight-year conflict. We look forward to the continuation of these discussions after Eid Al Fitr.

The return of hundreds of former detainees to their homes is also a welcome development; for the individuals, their families, and for prospects for peace. We congratulate the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN, and all those involved in their safe return. If all parties engage constructively, Yemen can build on these positive developments for the benefit of the whole nation.

The crucial next step is inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni talks, under the auspices of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg. The UK strongly encourages all parties to now support his efforts towards an enduring end to the war.

Peace is the only way to improve the dire humanitarian situation in the country and allow Yemenis to rebuild their special country.

April 21, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : We must continue to work together constructively to support the Libyan people to address long-standing issues [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward at the Security Council meeting on UNSMIL.

Let me start by thanking SRSG Bathily and Ambassador Kimihiro for their briefings today. I’d like to focus on the political process, the role of security actors, and civil society.

The United Kingdom continues to support fully SRSG Bathily and his work in Libya. I welcome SRSG Bathily’s consultations with an inclusive set of stakeholders. All Libyans, from social leaders to civil society, have an important role to play in Libya’s long-term efforts towards stability.

Mediation, under the auspices of the SRSG and UNSMIL, is key for elections to succeed. It is vital to bind Libya’s powerbrokers into an agreement that will enable the holding of elections as soon as feasible, without risking progress achieved on peace and stability to date. Mediation should take place between those empowered to resolve key sticking points that have long delayed Libya’s progress towards long-term security.

Second, I note positively the efforts of security actors to come together in support of delivering successful elections. Their initial commitments are welcome and should be the foundation for more substantive political compromises that create the conditions for successful elections. Security actors also have an important role in committing to, and upholding, the security guarantees necessary to enable Libyan’s access to safe, free and fair elections.

Finally, colleagues, as SRSG Bathily said, the crackdown on civil society is deeply concerning. Civic space must be protected to empower all Libyans to play a role in developing an open and democratic society. It is incumbent on Libyan authorities to rapidly develop and clarify a sustainable legal mechanism that allows for freedom of association, operation and assembly, as guaranteed in the Constitutional Declaration.

Additionally, I encourage SRSG Bathily to continue undertaking meaningful engagement with civil society to ensure wider Libyan voices, including, as you mentioned, women and youth, are heard throughout the political process.

Colleagues, there’s a positive start already to help Libya find the solutions to its problems. We must continue to work together constructively to support the Libyan people to address long-standing issues. It is only through coordinated efforts, with a leading role by UNSMIL, that we can help pave the way for elections and beyond, to ensure Libya achieves the stability and prosperity its people deserve.

Thank you.

April 21, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Tough action taken against company directors for COVID-19 financial abuse [April 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 April 2023.

459 directors were disqualified in 2022-23 for abuse of the pandemic financial support schemes, with average disqualification length of seven years four months, up from five years ten months last year.

Over 450 directors have been disqualified by the Insolvency Service in 2022-23 for abusing the COVID-19 financial support scheme, as the agency continues to clamp down on pandemic fraudsters.

Figures published today by the Insolvency Service also show that directors guilty of COVID-19 related misconduct are being hit with longer disqualification periods. The average length of bans handed out to directors in the last year was seven years four months, up from five years ten months in 2021-22.

Of the total 932 director disqualifications obtained by the Insolvency Service in 2022-23 – 459 were cases involving COVID-19 financial support scheme abuse.

In addition to its civil enforcement action, the Insolvency Service also brought criminal prosecutions against six directors in 2022-23 for COVID-19 related misconduct. All of the prosecutions resulted in a conviction and resulted in immediate imprisonment in one case.

Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at the Insolvency Service, said:

These fraudsters are just the latest to find out that we will not hesitate to take firm action where we uncover such abuse, and this can ultimately result in a jail sentence.

The purpose of the Bounce Back Loan scheme was to support businesses during the pandemic, but it is clear a minority of company directors chose to maliciously abuse the scheme and defraud the taxpayer. Our team of experts continue to work round-the-clock to bring these criminals to justice.

In three of the most recent cases, Bahar Dag was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court to two years six months in prison, with her husband Baris Dagistan sentenced to two years, having both pleaded guilty to offences involving a fraudulent application for a Bounce Back Loan.

Bahar Dag had claimed the full £50,000 Bounce Back Loan by stating the company’s turnover was £200,000. However, it was closer to £40,000. When Insolvency Service investigators made contact, and the couple realised they had been caught, they repaid the Bounce Back Loan in full.

Separately, Jubelur Rohman, sole director of Better Day Ltd which gave its business address the Indian Ocean restaurant in Wrexham until 2019, has been disqualified as a director for 11 years following an investigation into his company’s £50,000 Bounce Back Loan obtained in October 2020.

After his company went into liquidation in 2022 with debts over £150,000, Insolvency Service investigators found it had in fact ceased trading in October 2019, with the restaurant currently at the address being owned by a different company. But the rules of the Bounce Back Loan scheme were clear that businesses had to have been trading on 1 March 2020 to be eligible for any funding.

Rohman took out over £40,000 in cash from the company’s bank account between October 2020, when the loan money was received, and March 2021. Yet there was no evidence to show the funds had been spent for the economic benefit of the company.

In another case, Craig McCourt, the sole director of Craig McCourt Electrical Services Ltd, an electrical installation company in Ross-shire, has been disqualified as a director after he applied for Bounce Back Loan funding on two separate occasions, despite his company having already ceased trading and therefore not eligible for any financial assistance.

Although he later dissolved his company, he was caught thanks to new powers granted to the Insolvency Service which enable it to investigate directors of dissolved companies, particularly where bosses are suspected of using this as a tactic to avoid repaying taxpayer-backed Covid-19 support money.

At the point he dissolved the company in October 2020, nearly all its £20,000 Bounce Back Loan remained outstanding. The company was identified on government counter-fraud systems and under the new powers – which came into effect in December 2021 – the Insolvency Service launched an investigation.

Investigators discovered that not only had Craig McCourt Electrical Services Ltd not been trading since September 2019 – meaning he had breached the terms of the scheme when he applied for the loan – but he had immediately transferred the £15,000 loan to another bank account. Investigators then discovered that he had applied for the extra £5,000 top-up loan for the company in November 2020 – a month after the business had finally been dissolved. He had also transferred this money to a separate bank account.

As a result, Craig McCourt has been disqualified for 11 years.

Rohman and McCourt’s bans prevent each of them from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation, or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

April 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor announces three new Economic Advisory Council members [April 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 April 2023.

The Council provides independent, expert advice on economic policy to help grow the economy.
- Andy Haldane, Dr Anna Valero and Sir Jonathan Symonds CBE will join the Chancellor’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
- The council meets regularly to discuss the UK economy and advises the Chancellor – with a focus on growing the economy.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt has today (Tuesday 18 April) announced three new members of the Economic Advisory Council.

The Council provides independent, expert advice on economic policy to help grow the economy.

All members attend in an independent capacity and have been chosen for their personal knowledge and expertise.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said:

“I am delighted to announce three new members of the Economic Advisory Council who collectively have decades of economic experience across the private and public sector.

“Economic growth is essential to our long-term prospects and in the face of global headwinds, this council plays a critical role in helping our economy meet these challenges.”

The appointments bring membership of the Council to seven advisors – and the next meeting will be convened later in the Spring.

About the members:

Andy Haldane FAcSS, FRS, FRSA

Andy Haldane has served as the Chief Executive of the Royal Society for Arts (RSA) since 2021. He worked at the Bank of England between 1989 and 2021 where he became the Chief Economist and a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Haldane was appointed Chair of the Levelling up Advisory Council in June 2022.

Dr Anna Valero

Anna Valero is a Senior Policy Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) Centre for Economic Performance, Deputy Director of the Programme on Innovation and Diffusion, and an Associate of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change. Her research is focused on the drivers of productivity and innovation in firms and regions. She also works on UK growth policy more broadly, with a particular focus on sustainable growth and green jobs.

Sir Jonathan (Jon) Symonds, CBE

Jon Symonds was appointed Chair of the board at Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) in September 2019. He also serves as, Non-Executive director at Genomics England Limited, a member of the European Round Table for Industry, and as a Senior Advisor to Chatham House. Symonds has extensive international financial, life sciences and governance experience.

Further information
- Care will be taken to ensure Council members are not privy to any material non- public information, or market sensitive information.
- Read the terms of reference for the government’s Economic Advisory Council.
- The new members will join the below Council members announced in October:
  - Rupert Harrison, BlackRock
  - Sushil Wadhwani, PGIM Wadhwani
  - Karen Ward, J. P. Morgan Asset Management
  - Gertjan Vlieghe, Element Capital
April 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Suspected Hizballah financier sanctioned under counter-terrorism regulations [April 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 April 2023.

All assets and economic resources belonging to Nazem Ahmad in the UK have been frozen.
- Suspected Hizballah financier Nazem Ahmad has been sanctioned using domestic counter-terrorism powers.
- Powers used for the first time in order to curtail a suspected international terrorism financing network.
The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against an individual suspected of financing the terrorist group Hizballah.

Nazem Ahmad has been sanctioned as part of continued efforts to prevent terrorism in the interests of national security. The move will also protect the integrity of the UK economy from terrorist financing threats.

All assets and economic resources belonging to Ahmad in the UK have been frozen and no UK person may do business with him or any of the companies he owns or controls.

This is the first use of the Treasury-led domestic counter terrorism regime, which is used to target those who HM Treasury has reasonable grounds to suspect are involved in terrorist activity.

Treasury Lords Minister Baroness Penn said:

“We will always proactively defend our economy against those who seek to abuse it.

“The firm action we have taken today will clamp down on those who are funding international terrorism, strengthening the UK’s economic and national security.”

The action is part of a coordinated effort with partners to disrupt an international terrorist-financing operation.

Ahmad has an extensive art collection in the UK and he conducts business with multiple UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses. Following his designation he will be prevented from trading in the UK art market, and other dealers in high-value items will no longer be able to conduct business with him and his associated companies including White Starr DMCC, Bexley Way General Trading LLC, Best Diamond House DMCC, Sierra Gem Diamonds Company NV, Park Ventures SAL and the Artual Gallery.

Further information
- This is first time use of powers to designate an individual under the Counter Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
- An asset freeze means that it is generally prohibited to deal with the funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by a designated person. The freeze prohibits the making available of further funds or economic resources directly or indirectly to a designated person, and engagement in actions that directly or indirectly circumvent the prohibitions.
- When an asset freeze is applied, the funds or economic resources are frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them.
- Imposing an asset freeze does not change the ownership of the frozen funds or economic resource and nor are they transferred to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation or HM Treasury for safekeeping.
Sanctioned individual

Nazem Ahmad, suspected Hizballah financier who has control over White Starr DMCC, Bexley Way General Trading LLC, Best Diamond House DMCC, Sierra Gem Diamonds Company NV, Park Ventures SAL and the Artual Gallery.
April 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Trade Minister in US to sign fourth trade pact with a US state [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 18 April 2023.

Nigel Huddleston is in Washington to deepen UK-US trade ties and secure two wins that will boost jobs, investment and exports across the Atlantic.
- Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston visits US to sign the UK’s fourth state-level MoU to boost trade and investment with Oklahoma
- UK-Oklahoma pact will focus on boosting green trade, particularly in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
- Stateside visit will also secure pioneering agreement which resolves a major trade barrier, making it easier for UK architects to operate in the US
Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston is in Washington to deepen UK-US trade ties and secure two wins that will boost jobs, investment and exports across the Atlantic.

He will open his visit by signing a state-level trade Memorandum of Understanding with Oklahoma, the fourth such agreement between the UK and a US state, before welcoming a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between UK and US architect regulators.

The MoU with Oklahoma will unlock opportunities for UK businesses to export more and encourage inward investment, which will in turn drive economic growth and create jobs in the UK, contributing to the government’s priority to grow the economy.

It aims to boost the £174.4m worth of goods UK companies exported to the UK in 2022 and generate more jobs for exporters in the UK. Nearly 3,000 jobs in Oklahoma are supported by exports to the UK and nearly 10,000 people in the state are employed by British companies.

Top goods exports from UK to Oklahoma in 2022 included nuclear equipment, precious stones and metals and photographic equipment, including medical and navigational.

The Minister will attend an event on 19 April with industry bodies to welcome the ground-breaking architect MRA. This is the first of its kind signed by the UK’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) and will ensure UK architects can take advantage of new opportunities in several states across the United States.

Practising architecture in the US requires licensing, typically at state level, which makes it harder for UK architects to work in the country. Under the agreement, eligible UK architects and businesses will face significantly less testing and a shorter process to get a licence in participating jurisdictions.

British architects have made significant contributions to the US landscape, having designed several well-known buildings including the African-American Museum in Washington DC and JFK Airport in New York by Sir David Adjaye and Andrew Whalley respectively. Architecture and engineering services in the UK is worth £22bn, with architectural services employing around 70,000 people across the country.

The MRA could increase UK services exports to the US by around £40 million per annum.

Business and Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

I’m thrilled to be in America building on our strong trading relationship with the US through our innovative programme of state-level MoUs and a trailblazing agreement between US and UK architect regulators.

Both these agreements will benefit British businesses, unlock huge opportunities in clean energy and technology through our MoU with Oklahoma and make it easier for our world-leading British architects to export their services across the Atlantic.

The US is our largest trading partner, and these wins reflect our successful twin-track approach to trade with the US, strengthening links with individual states in parallel with work with the federal government.

The Oklahoma MoU will focus on decarbonisation, particularly through boosting collaboration and investment in areas such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). The Government has identified CCUS as an area of economic opportunity for the UK – expected to create up to 50,000 British jobs by the end of this decade.

The UK already has MoUs in place with Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, which are helping UK businesses meet new buyers and secure new contracts. We are currently discussing future agreements with states including Utah, Texas and California.

BritishAmerican Business CEO Duncan Edwards said:

The UK government’s state-level engagement makes good business sense. We welcome today’s signing and look forward to helping transatlantic companies develop new business ties in the state of Oklahoma.

While these MoUs foster further trade and investment opportunities at a local level, our hope is that their success can help put trade talks at a federal level back on the agenda.

The architect MRA is the most accepted agreement ever signed by NCARB and covers three of the five largest US states by GDP; California, Illinois and Texas.

Minister for Building Safety Lee Rowley said:

This agreement will help increase the presence of UK architects and architectural sector in the United States and on the global stage.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities developed the legislation to enable the Architects Registration Board to sign these types of agreements and has supported them throughout their negotiations with NCARB.

This agreement, and others like it with partners across the world, create more international opportunities for architectural firms based all around the UK and increase the talent and breadth of architects here.

ARB Chief Executive and Registrar Hugh Simpson said:

This landmark agreement that ARB has signed with our US counterparts means that from 25 April, UK architects and their firms can take advantage of a much simpler licensing process for UK qualified architects in the United States, with fewer tests and a streamlined application process. US qualified and licenced architects will also benefit from a quicker and simpler process to join the UK register in a way which maintains standards and upholds confidence.

Foster + Partners is a British studio for architecture, urbanism and design founded in 1967. It is the largest architectural firm in the UK with offices established across the world.

Foster + Partners Senior Partner and Global Head of HR Charlotte Sword said:

We welcome the recent ARB-NCARB mutual recognition agreement, which will make it easier for our UK qualified architects to gain licensure in the participating US states and for our US architects to work here in the UK.
April 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : “Partnering for the long haul”: British Foreign Secretary visits Pacific nations [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 April 2023.

The Foreign Secretary travels to the Pacific to strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island Countries and New Zealand.
- James Cleverly begins a visit to the Commonwealth nations of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Samoa tomorrow (Wednesday 19 April)
- The Foreign Secretary will announce a renewal of partnerships with Pacific nations, including millions in new funding to boost the region’s prosperity
- New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta to join the Foreign Secretary for a joint programme in Samoa, before they travel on to Wellington on Friday (21 April)
The UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins a tour of the Pacific tomorrow (19 April), to strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island Countries, with a focus on climate change, scientific research and media freedom.

Cleverly will visit Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, before joining the New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta for a joint programme in Samoa. They will then travel on to Wellington together for engagements on Saturday.

During his trip, the Foreign Secretary will announce new commitments to show the UK’s support for a free and open Pacific. £4.5m of new funding will connect communities in Papua New Guinea and across the Pacific to clean energy sources, such as by providing an alternative to common but expensive and polluting generators. More UK experts will also work with Pacific communities to tackle marine pollution and maintain clean, healthy oceans, as part of the UK’s £500m Blue Planet Fund.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK supports a free and open Pacific. At the very centre of this effort is partnering for the long haul with our friends in the Pacific Islands, listening to their priorities, and working alongside them as they forge their own futures.

The UK is redoubling its engagement in the Pacific, offering our expertise in tackling climate change, protecting the region’s oceans, promoting public health, and supporting open societies and a free media.

In Papua New Guinea, the Foreign Secretary will meet Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Prime Minister Marape. He will also see a Fleming Fund-backed hospital in Port Moresby, visit the Grass Skirts project which promotes women and girls’ rights, and lay a wreath at the Bomana Commonwealth War Cemetery.

In Solomon Islands, he will hear from journalists who have taken part in a UK government-backed, BBC-led training programme, and meet Prime Minister Sogavare and Foreign Minister Manele.

In Samoa, the Foreign Secretary will join Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, hold trilateral talks, see the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and visit the Villa Vailima – Robert Louis Stevenson’s former home in Samoa.

The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Mahuta will then fly to Wellington together. Cleverly will be greeted at the New Zealand parliament by a traditional Māori Pōwhiri ceremony, before holding talks with Foreign Minister Mahuta and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Later in the day he will participate in a rugby training session with players in the Black Ferns, New Zealand’s women’s rugby union team.
April 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The costs of inaction on the FSO Safer are severe [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward at the Security Council meeting on Yemen.

The UK welcomes ongoing efforts to advance peace in Yemen.

The Saudi and Omani delegations to Sana’a represent progress in efforts to find a settlement to the eight-year conflict.

The return of hundreds of former detainees to their homes is also welcome progress; for the individuals, families, and prospects for wider peace. We congratulate all those involved in their safe return.

Inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni political talks, under the auspices of the UN Special Envoy, are the vital next step.

At this time of hope, we are grateful for the unity of this Council. Sustainably improving the lives of the Yemeni people must remain our collective priority.

With this in mind, we call on the parties to refrain from provocation. The recent clashes in Marib and Shabwa had significant humanitarian consequences, displacing 10,000 people, as well as threatening progress towards peace.

Mr President,

Clearly the need for an impactful humanitarian response remains critical, especially while a sizeable funding gap remains.

While the UK commends the progress made, we call for greater ambition in addressing the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation.

In order for vital humanitarian work to go ahead, we urge authorities across Yemen to allow unfettered humanitarian access.

In particular we join calls for ends to the impediments to independent assessment and monitoring, for fair selection of service providers, and free movement, especially of national female aid workers in the north.

The UN, donors, and local authorities need to step up and work together to effectively address the needs of people in Yemen.

Finally,

We are at a critical moment to address the threat posed by the FSO Safer.

The replacement vessel has begun its journey to Yemen but there is not enough funding for the salvage operation to take place.

The costs of inaction are severe. This would devastate marine life and coastal livelihoods, disrupt life-saving humanitarian assistance for 17 million people, and cost the global economy billions in lost trade every day.

On 4th May, the UK is co-hosting a Pledging Conference with the Netherlands and in partnership with the UN.

This event aims to fill the shortfall and provide a long-term solution for Yemen.

It is on all of us, states, private sector and individuals, to step up and help. The time to act is now. We all have a stake in averting this catastrophe.

April 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : A solid fuel missile is a significant increase in the DPRK’s ballistic missile capabilities [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward, at the Security Council meeting on DPRK.

I thank ASG Khiari for his briefing.

The UK condemns the launch of what the DPRK has called an intercontinental ballistic missile on 13 April. This first launch of a solid fuel missile represents a significant increase in the DPRK’s ballistic missile capabilities.

These missiles could potentially reach almost every point on Earth. While it chose to limit the flight distance this time, the DPRK’s reckless actions nonetheless created concern and fear for the people of Japan, who are directly threatened by these launches. We can expect this threat to intensify as long as the DPRK is able to continue to develop WMD capabilities.

Colleagues, these violations of Council resolutions are too serious to ignore. We should set aside our differences and send a unified message that the DPRK’s behaviour is unacceptable. The UK is ready to work with all Council members to send that clear message, as well as to build a framework for renewed dialogue, and to facilitate aid.

We once again call on all Member States to implement existing resolutions, which were unanimously agreed by the Council, in full. And we call on the DPRK to take up repeated offers from the United States and the Republic of Korea toward dialogue. As we have said repeatedly, diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula.

April 18, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement from the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – Situation in Sudan [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2023.

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has made a joint statement with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the situation in Sudan.

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:

Good afternoon everyone. It’s very good to be with my friend and colleague, Foreign Secretary Cleverly. We have been consulting very closely on the situation in Sudan. We’ve also been in close touch with partners in the Arab world, in Africa, in international organizations. There is a shared deep concern about the fighting, the violence, that’s going on in Sudan, the threat that that poses to civilians, that it poses to the Sudanese nation and potentially poses even to the region.

There’s also a very strongly shared view about the need for General’s Burhan and Hemeti to ensure the protection of civilians and non-combatants, as well as people from third countries, including our personnel who are located in Sudan. And also a strongly held view, again, across all of our partners on the need for an immediate ceasefire and a return to talks. Talks that were very promising in putting Sudan on the path to a full transition to civilian led government.

People in Sudan want the military back in the barracks. They want democracy. They want a civilian led government. Sudan needs to return to that path. For our part, we’ve also been closely in touch, of course, with our own embassy, to make sure that our personnel is safe and accounted for, which is the case. And we’re also closely in touch with any American citizens, in Sudan, to make sure that those who are registered with the embassy and that we’re actually in, in contact with, get all the information they can about how to remain safe and secure.

The UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Secretary Blinken thank you. Obviously, earlier on today, we have had discussions about the situation in Sudan. We have, the UK has been in contact with our friends in the Arab region, and will continue to do so. But I echo the points that have been made already by Secretary Blinken that we call upon an immediate cessation of violence, a return to the talks, talks which seem to be heading in the direction of a civilian government.

And of course, that is the ultimate desired, outcome. And we will continue working both with our close friends in the United States of America and our friends, in Africa, and the wider Arab world to bring about that move towards a peace and a civilian democracy.

Obviously, from the UK’s government point of view, our first priority is the protection of British nationals. We had previously changed travel advice and advised against travel to Sudan. I ensured that the British officials at the embassy in Khartoum are safe and accounted for, and we will continue to provide what support we can to British nationals in Sudan.

But ultimately, the immediate, future lies in the hands of the generals who are engaged in this fight. And we call upon them to put peace first, to bring an end to the fighting, to get back to negotiations. That’s what the people of Sudan want. That’s what the people of Sudan deserve, and we will continue to seek ways to support that road back to peace.

April 17, 2023