Member's statement: Sudanese Community in Northern Ireland

Member's statement by Ms Kate Nicholl on 16 February 2026.

MLA

Ms Kate Nicholl

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

16 February 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Sudanese Community in Northern Ireland

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5391040

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Last week, the all-party group on international development had a moving event with members of the Sudanese community in Northern Ireland. They said that they feel forgotten, so I said that I would read some of their words to the Chamber. This is what they said:

"Distinguished Members of this Chamber, we write to you today in the hope that you can support the people of Sudan through their current plight in order to speed up the turning of a new page to a better, safer and sustainable future. To set the scene, it is estimated that around 12 million to 13 million people have been forcibly displaced since the onset of this conflict in April 2023. Many of these people have had to seek refuge elsewhere within the borders of Sudan, whilst relatively few have had the resources and means to exit the country. For those fortunate enough to escape, they need to be more fortunate yet to escape without lashing, overwhelming trauma that taints their day-to-day life. The most conservative estimates stipulate that over 150,000 people have died during this conflict. As is usually the case, the real number is likely far greater. What is most heartbreaking is that sexual violence is being used as a tool of war to try and break the resolve of any who resist the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia's will. They talk and boast openly on various social media platforms, such as X, WhatsApp and Starlink. With regards to the media in the Western hemisphere, the silence on this conflict is deafening. You need no lesson in your own history. Today, we allude to the Troubles of this island only to try to put into perspective what is required to bring about the end of a gruesome conflict. International parties gathered here, across the water and in many Chambers in unison with the relevant local parties, with a sustained effort to try and mediate, compromise and bring about a lasting and beautiful peace, which, as you know, culminated in the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement in 1998. An imperative factor of this peace was and remains disarmament of the paramilitary forces involved in the conflict. As many of you already know, we fear that the British Government are playing an opposite role in the deadly crisis in our homeland of Sudan. There is mounting evidence that British-produced weaponry, ammunition and vehicles of war are finding their way into the hands of the RSF militia in Sudan. British arms companies have been granted single export licences repeatedly since the onset of the conflict, sell weaponry to the UAE, who themselves have diverted much of this weaponry to the RSF in Sudan via various channels: through Chad, Libya and Somalia. Evidence of the same has been provided to Committees on arms export control, such as weapons in the hands of the RSF."

At last week's meeting, members of the Sudanese community here spoke at length about the importance of providing more aid to civilians in Sudan. Over 33 million people, which is more than two thirds of the populace, need basic support.

516 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:53 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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