Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government is providing support to the government of Mali to help tackle the threat of the Islamic State group.

The UK is concerned about the security situation in Mali, with violence continuing to spread towards the southern regions. Intercommunal conflict and activity by violent extremist organisations are responsible for civilian casualties, as well as driving displacement, increasing food insecurity, and leading to the widespread closure of schools. Through our deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), our deployment of helicopters to the French counter-terrorism operation Barkhane, and our programmatic support for stabilisation and conflict resolution, the UK is committed to building peace and stability in the Sahel. We also provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable in the region, including to those affected by conflict. In meetings at the UN Security Council and with the transitional authorities in Mali, the UK has called for elections and a return to constitutional rule in line with the conditions set out by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).