Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Senegalese counterpart on the recent unrest in that country.

The UK Government was concerned by the recent unrest and violence in Senegal, including reports of protesters being killed following the arrest of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. Our condolences go to the families of all those affected.

The British Embassy in Dakar released a joint statement on 7 March 2021 alongside international partners, including the US, Canada and the EU. We expressed our collective concern over the violent incidents witnessed across the country and called on all parties to exercise restraint, restore calm and engage in dialogue.

On 12 March, our ambassador to Senegal met Foreign Minister Sall to discuss recent events. We are monitoring the situation closely and I plan to speak to my counterpart soon.