Written question asked by Stephen Doughty (Labour) on Monday, 18 January 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 21 January 2016 (named day). It was answered by Penny Mordaunt (Conservative) on Thursday, 21 January 2016 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Burkina Faso: Military Aid

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support UK military personnel are providing to the (a) security services and (b) armed forces of Burkina Faso.

Answer: The UK strongly condemns the recent atrocity that took place in Ouagadougou on 15-16 January and is deeply concerned by the spread of violent extremism both into Burkina Faso and across the wider region. We offer our heartfelt sympathies to the families affected by this terrible act of terrorism. The UK is working hard with regional countries; close international partners; and multilateral organisations to increase their capacity to address the security threats they face. Our major regional contributions are in Nigeria; at the HQ of the Multi-National Joint Task Force; and in support of the EU Training Mission in Mali. We are, though, supporting the Burkina Faso armed forces, together with a number of other African militaries, through our participation in regional training exercises.

Secondary information