Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the President of Sierra Leone on taking steps to provide legal representation to people detained after the riots in August 2022.

As a close friend of Sierra Leone, the UK holds regular frank discussions with senior government interlocutors, international partners and other key stakeholders on governance, the rule of law, stability, and the importance of a free and fair election in 2023. We condemn acts of political violence and urge all to work collaboratively to reduce tensions. I (Minister Mitchell) spoke with the President of Sierra Leone in London on 22 November 2022 about the importance of the upcoming election and Sierra Leone's democratic process. I reiterated this message in a meeting with the Minister of Basic and Senior Education at the PSVI conference on 28 November.