FOREIGN Secretary James Cleverly said he has been in touch with warring generals in Sudan and told them that violence must stop before future governance of the country can be discussed.

He told GB News: “There’s been violence in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region, for many years and the best thing that we can do for the Sudanese people is to bring this conflict to a permanent end.

“I’ve spoken either directly or through intermediaries with both the generals involved in this conflict, making it very clear that if either of them aspires to be the leader of Sudan in the future, then a very, very important first step to their credibility is to bring this fighting to a conclusion, to get back around the negotiating table as they were just before this latest violence broke out and to start acting like the national leader that they aspire to be.

“That then will benefit the Sudanese people, reduce the pressure on neighbouring countries from the refugee flows and, of course, ultimately, reduce the number of Sudanese people trying to get to our shores. That’s the best thing for everybody.”

In a discussion during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster, he continued: “There is still an ongoing humanitarian situation. We still have a presence at Port Sudan, both a military presence and a number of government officials, to help British nationals and their dependents leave the country.

“We have concluded the air operation…it was a complicated operation but I think one that has proven to be very successful, but it’s not over yet and we will ensure that we maintain a presence to support British nationals, because the situation in Sudan sadly is still volatile and is still dangerous.”

He added: “We are still seeing road convoys from Khartoum to Port Sudan and we know that British nationals have been joining those convoys throughout this evacuation.

“We’ve evacuated just over 2,300 people but a number of other British nationals have left through road routes, whether to proceed on or to Egypt or to Ethiopia respectively. And we know that that is likely to still continue in much smaller numbers than we’ve seen previously.

“So we’re maintaining a diplomatic presence at those crossing points, both to Egypt to Ethiopia, and also at Port Sudan to assist British nationals who are still looking to leave the country.

“Of course, in parallel to that we’re pushing for the ceasefire to become a permanent end of the violence so that we can help get Sudan back on its feet with the humanitarian assistance that they are inevitably going to need now.”