Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Guinea.

The UK Government is concerned by the political and security situation in Guinea following the recent military coup. In my statement on 6 September, I [Minister Duddridge] set out the Government's condemnation of the removal by force of the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé. Our partners in the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the United Nations, and others have joined us in this condemnation.

We have called for the immediate release of the President and for all parties to engage in peaceful dialogue to ease tensions, to prevent any further violence and to uphold democratic principles, including the rule of law. We are engaging with our international partners, including the African Union, on the situation in Guinea. We continue to monitor events closely through our Embassy in Conakry.