Chris Law

Chris Law

Scottish National Party — Dundee Central

Speaking in the House of Commons on 13 January 2025

Debate

Sudan: US Determination of Genocide

Contribution

We all remember the appalling comments of the Foreign Secretary in October when he said that genocide is a legal term, which “must be determined by international courts”, which is appropriate only “when millions of people lost their lives”.—[Official Report, 28 October 2024; Vol. 755, c. 556.] The special adviser to the UN Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide has said that the situation today in Sudan “bears all the marks of risk of genocide”. The US Secretary of State has determined that the RSF and its aligned militias have committed genocide. In the UK, Protection Approaches’ director said that “the people of Sudan face unimaginable precarity under a triple threat of war, genocide and famine.” Why is it that time after time in this House we are so reticent about using the word “genocide” when it is all around us and the evidence is there for us to see? Does the Minister stand by the Foreign Secretary’s assessment that it is only for international courts to make the assessment that millions must die before the term genocide can be used? Does she believe that the US Secretary of State’s use of the term “genocide” undermines its seriousness?

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