British ambassador to Sudan ‘was on holiday as violence broke out’

Giles Lever was not in Sudan when conflict erupted

Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum

Britain’s ambassador to Sudan was not in the country when conflict erupted, ministers have confirmed, after reports the official was on holiday.

Giles Lever and his deputy were among several officials who took annual leave during Ramadan, media reports suggested.

The Times newspaper reported officials had believed violence was unlikely during the lead up to Eid, the Muslim festival which marks the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan.

Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell confirmed the ambassador was not in Sudan following questioning from MPs.

A battle-damaged street in Khartoum (EPA)

SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes (West Dunbartonshire) had asked the minister: “Due to woefully inadequate intelligence on the ground, it seems … that the British ambassador to Sudan decided to go on holiday. Can he confirm that? And can he confirm if that’s true, who was in charge on the ground?”

Mr Mitchell responded: “The ambassador is entitled to return to the UK either on diplomatic business or indeed on leave if that is appropriate.

“What I can tell him is that the second-most senior person in the embassy in Khartoum, who was the development director there, he was indeed in post when this disaster struck.”

Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) continued to press for information on the matter, asking whether it was true that the ambassador and his deputy had left as early as April 14.

Mr Mitchell added: “On the issue of staffing, the ambassador was indeed out of the country and the deputy head of mission was not the second-most senior person in the embassy, that was the development director there, as I explained in an answer to an earlier question.”

Outside the Commons, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman also confirmed the reports.

He said: “That’s correct on the ambassador and deputy ambassador. I think it was around the time of Ramadan that they were out of the country at that point.

“There were very senior staff still in the country and both those who were in country and the ambassador have been working around the clock to aid efforts.”

Mr Mitchell also told MPs that 200 civil servants were working shifts “night and day” in the crisis centre set up in response to the conflict.

The Government’s emergency committee Cobra has meanwhile “met six times so far” since violence began, according to the minister.

He said five of these meetings had been chaired by Rishi Sunak, including one at 3.15am on Saturday.