Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
The security situation in Nigeria remains of strong concern. It is estimated that 20,000 people have been killed, 1.5 million have been displaced and at least 3 million have been affected by the terrorist group Boko Haram. Recent efforts by Nigeria and its neighbours have seen the group pushed back. However, Boko Haram remains a potent threat and retains the ability to conduct attacks. President Buhari has made restoring security and prosperity to north east Nigeria a priority for his government. We look forward to working closely with him on this agenda.Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Iraq.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Since ISIL’s expansion in the summer of 2014, the Government of Iraq (GoI), with the support of the Global Counter-ISIL Coalition, including the UK, has succeeded in halting ISIL’s advance and pushing them out of a quarter of the territory they have captured. However, the security situation in Iraq remains concerning.
In central and western Iraq the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), supported by Coalition airstrikes have generally succeeded in containing ISIL advances, and in places like Tikrit, retaken territory. On 17 May, however, ISIL captured the city of Ramadi in Anbar province. While this represents a symbolic and tactical advance for ISIL, we do not judge it to be strategically significant.
Some areas of Iraq, such as Mosul, remain under complete ISIL control whilst others like Fallujah and Baiji continue to be heavily contested.
In the north, the Kurdish Security Forces (KSF), supported by Coalition airstrikes, have recaptured territory, particularly around the Sinjar area, and continue to make incremental gains. The majority of southern Iraq remains calm.
Asked by: Lord Coaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Working for a stable and secure Afghanistan that is willing and able to counter terrorism remains a key objective for our work in Afghanistan. The UK played a leading role in the International Security Assistance Force mission. With NATO support, Afghan security forces now number around 330,000, the strongest in Afghan history. In January 2015 they assumed complete responsibility for the country’s security, a significant achievement and a tangible demonstration of the progress achieved to date. Recent well-publicised attacks have shown insurgent ambition to press for early impact following the announcement on 22 April of the start of their military campaign this year, in which they have declared Afghan Government and international institutions and civilian personnel as legitimate targets. We recognise and are ever mindful of the indiscriminate tragedy that this inflicts. Events have also illustrated the ability and determination of Afghan Defence and Security Forces to absorb pressure and to respond effectively. We expect this capability to broaden and to deepen as NATO’s Resolute Support Mission continues, of which the UK remains a key component.
We are aware of reports claiming that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant/Daesh have gained a foothold in Afghanistan and that they are seeking to consolidate this. Together with Afghan and international counterparts, we are monitoring the situation closely.