Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the decision by the government of France to withdraw more than 2000 troops from the Sahel on the advancement of Jihadist activities in (1) Mali, (2) the wider Sahelian region, and (3) Nigeria.

The UK is in contact with our French partners on their planned changes to operations in the Sahel. We have had assurances that France will retain the critical support functions such as force protection, medical and logistical support, which allow the UK to effectively contribute to operations in the Sahel. We are building peace and stability in the Sahel, Nigeria and wider Lake Chad Basin. Our humanitarian assistance is supporting those most affected by conflict in the region.