Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Friday, 3 March 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 17 March 2023. It was answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Wednesday, 15 March 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Sahel: Security

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in the Sahel, including activities by organisations such as the Wagner Group; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, in response.

Answer: Instability in the Sahel is rising. Partnerships with Wagner Group are counterproductive to long-term stability and we know Wagner Group commits human rights abuses. We are working closely with international partners to counter the malign use of such proxies by Russia and have designated the Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin under the Russia Sanctions Regime. UK Ministers have also called for unrestricted access to investigate human rights allegations in Mali and reiterated the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law during counterterrorism operations. The UK remains committed to supporting regional security through our humanitarian, development and stabilisation programmes.

Secondary information