To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007, Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia, what discussions she has had with her (a) Ethiopian and (b) other African Union counterparts on the recent violence in Somalia; whether she has changed her assessment of the status of the Union of Islamic Courts following these discussions; and if she will make a statement. (130421)

We are in close contact with both the African Union (AU) and the Ethiopian Government about the recent fighting in Somalia, which we utterly condemn. The Government calls on all parties in Somalia to reject violence and commit to peaceful dialogue. We are working with the AU and other members of the international community to try to facilitate the swift and effective deployment of the AU stabilisation mission to Somalia in order to create the conditions for Ethiopia to withdraw, whilst avoiding a security vacuum.

The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) ceased to exist as an organisation after its collapse in December 2006. The Government have therefore not changed their assessment of the UIC, as given in my answer to the hon. Member on 7 March 2007, Official Report, column 2017W.