Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the risk that, in the event that sanctions are imposed by regional or continental bodies on the emerging military regime in Burkina Faso following the coup of 23 January 2022, military regimes in (a) Mali and (b) Guinea cooperate to limit the efficacy of those sanctions; and what steps she is taking to support regional and continental bodies in planning for that risk.

We are working closely with partners to assess and mitigate the risks surrounding recent coups, and to support our overall objective of security and stability in the region. As I set out in my statement on 25 January 2022, the UK condemns the coup d'etat by military forces in Burkina Faso. We are working with partners to encourage a swift, peaceful and constructive resolution to events. Dialogue between all parties is required to tackle insecurity across Burkina Faso, and respond to the needs of the Burkinabe people.

On both Guinea and Mali we support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediation efforts. We have condemned the removal by force of the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé, in a coup in September 2021, and we continue to call on the transitional authorities in Mali to prepare for elections without delay. We have called on all parties to engage in peaceful dialogue to ease tensions, prevent any further violence and uphold democratic principles, including the rule of law. We will continue to monitor the situation and engage with international and regional partners, including ECOWAS.