Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to assist Mali in their relations with Russia.

The UK does not assist Mali in its relations with Russia. The UK is deeply concerned by the Malian Government's discussions with the Russian private military company, Wagner Group. In my statement of 29 September 2021, I made clear that Wagner Group is a driver of conflict in the areas it operates and has committed human rights abuses elsewhere on the continent. The UK supports the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in urging the Malian Government to reconsider their engagement with Wagner Group given the potential for further instability in the wider region. Together, with other partners active in the region, the UK is keeping the situation under close review.