The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso, including regular attacks by terrorist groups. This year, the UK provided £173 million to support programmes across the Sahel, including to alleviate the root causes of conflict, help those displaced by it and promote conflict prevention and stability. We have also been working with regional partners to encourage a joined-up response to what is a trans-national problem.

The UK continues to champion Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Maldives, Mauritania, Cuba, Niger, Tajikistan and other countries on the Open Doors' World Watch List where Christians face persecution or discrimination because of their faith. Last July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to champion FoRB on the international stage, including through our position in the United Nations and the Article 18 Alliance.

The UK is committed to supporting efforts to address the root causes of violence and discrimination in Burkina Faso.

I also refer the Right Hon. Member to the answer Minister Falconer gave on 9 July to Question 63385, concerning UK calls for action on human rights abuses, the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.

The UK strongly condemns reports of attacks on religious minorities in Burkina Faso and has consistently called on all actors in Burkina Faso to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law, which covers the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. For example, at the April 2025 Security Council briefing on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, the UK expressed concern at the human rights abuses committed in the Sahel and called on the UN to lead the way in emphasising the importance of international humanitarian law.

The UK strongly condemns reports of attacks on religious minorities in Burkina Faso and has consistently called on all actors in Burkina Faso to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law.

The UK remains committed to funding official development aid to address the drivers of conflict and reduce the influence of violent extremist organisations in the region, including through providing over £142 million in bilateral official development aid to the Sahel in Financial Year 2024/25. The majority of this was used on humanitarian aid for displaced people but programmes also promote stability and conflict resolution, provide health services and bolster resilience to climate change.

UK technical and diplomatic support has been instrumental in the establishment of the anti-war, pro-democracy Taqaddum coalition, led by former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. I have recently met Hamdok and the UK will continue to support civil society groups seeking to alleviate suffering, protect civilians and end the conflict in Sudan.

The death and destruction in Gaza are intolerable. The UK is pushing for an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop, the hostages must be released and much more aid must enter Gaza. A deal is on the table and we are urging both sides to show flexibility. The civil society organisations we work with are valuable partners of the government and we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with them closely.

Civil society organisations in Burkina Faso also play an important role in conflict resolution and peacekeeping, despite facing significant challenges. We are supporting efforts by civil society organisations to facilitate land conflict resolution, promote gender and social inclusion, and support survivors of gender-based violence.

The UK is aware of reports of massacres of civilians by Burkinabe military forces in late February in the villages of Nondin and Soro in Burkina Faso's Yatenga province. On 29 April, the UK and USA issued a joint statement condemning the alleged violence against civilians and the subsequent media suspensions by the Burkinabe authorities. We have called on the Burkina Faso authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of these massacres and hold those responsible to account.

The UK is monitoring the increase in terrorism and violent extremism in Burkina Faso. Rising insecurity has contributed to an alarming increase in identity-based violence and atrocities, including by Islamic extremist groups and state forces.

I have discussed the impact of the security challenges faced by Burkina Faso and the Sahel with regional neighbours, including Senegalese PM Sonko, Ghana, Algeria, Mauritania and the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel.

The UK is providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year, to provide humanitarian support and address the drivers of conflict.

The Government has invested in the UK's capacity to monitor atrocities and instability in Burkina Faso, including mass attacks on civilians committed by violent extremist organisations and other actors. The root causes of violence in Burkina Faso are complex: as well as having a basis in religious extremist ideology, Islamic extremist groups have proliferated in the Sahel region due to contested governance, gender and social exclusion, limited economic opportunity and competition over land and natural resources.

The UK remains committed to funding overseas development aid to address the drivers of conflict and reduce the influence of violent extremist organisations in the region, including through providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year.

The UK strongly condemns reports of attacks on religious minorities in Burkina Faso and has consistently called on all actors in Burkina Faso to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law.

The UK is providing over £142 million in bilateral overseas development aid to the Sahel this financial year, the majority of this is humanitarian aid for displaced people but programmes also promote stability and conflict resolution, provide health services and bolster resilience to climate change.

The UK opposes the recent decision of the Burkinabe government to suspend international media outlets, including the BBC and the Guardian, following their coverage of a Human Rights Watch report which alleged the authorities had been involved in attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso. On 29 April, the UK and USA issued a joint statement condemning the alleged violence against civilians and the media suspensions. We are clear that societies are strengthened, not threatened, by well-informed public and strong, independent media. We will continue to raise our concerns on media freedom and democratic space with authorities in Burkina Faso.

The UK is appalled by the attacks against churches, mosques and local communities in Burkina Faso that took place in late February. As Lord Ahmad said on 26 February, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental right and must be protected, and those responsible for these heinous attacks must be held to account. We routinely discuss security challenges with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and continue to work with partners in the region to promote stability.

The UK is monitoring the threat from terrorist groups in the Sahel and has proscribed the Al-Qaeda associated group Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). We assess that the terrorist threat in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso will likely increase as a result of ongoing instability as will the risk of atrocities against people of all faiths by jihadist armed groups. We do not believe that the withdrawal of French troops alone will have direct implications on the safety of Christian minorities due to the often remote regions where these attacks take place, and the multitude of local factors that influence conflict dynamics in Sahel.

The UK signed up to the UN Security Council statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso which was issued on 29 February 2024, and also continues to provide vital humanitarian aid in the Sahel to support those affected by conflict.

The UK is appalled by the attacks against churches, mosques and local communities in Burkina Faso that took place in late February. As Lord Ahmad said on 26 February, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental right and must be protected, and those responsible for these heinous attacks must be held to account. We routinely discuss security challenges with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and continue to work with partners in the region to promote stability.

The UK is monitoring the threat from terrorist groups in the Sahel and has proscribed the Al-Qaeda associated group Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). We assess that the terrorist threat in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso will likely increase as a result of ongoing instability as will the risk of atrocities against people of all faiths by jihadist armed groups. We do not believe that the withdrawal of French troops alone will have direct implications on the safety of Christian minorities due to the often remote regions where these attacks take place, and the multitude of local factors that influence conflict dynamics in Sahel.

The UK signed up to the UN Security Council statement condemning the terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso which was issued on 29 February 2024, and also continues to provide vital humanitarian aid in the Sahel to support those affected by conflict.

The UK is appalled by the recent attacks against Churches, Mosques and local communities in Burkina Faso. As Lord Ahmad said last week, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental right and must be protected, and those responsible for these heinous attacks must be held to account. The UK also signed up to the UN Security Council statement on terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso issued on 29 February 2024. We routinely discuss security challenges with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso and continue to work with partners in the region to promote stability.

The UK continues to provide aid through reputable non-governmental organisations in Niger, Burkina Faso, and in Mali, despite the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping forces there. These organisations include the Danish Refugee Council, which is working with an NGO consortia to provide humanitarian aid in all three countries; Marie Stopes International, which provides women's sexual health services in Mali and Niger, and Mercy Corps which supports local land conflict prevention in Mali and Niger. The UK also funds the International Committee of the Red Cross who deliver humanitarian and protection work across the region.

FCO, DFID and FCDO have never had a post located in Benin, Burkina Faso or Cabo Verde.

Despite ongoing political instability, we continue to award Chevening scholarships to successful candidates from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to study for post graduate degrees in the UK. For the academic year 2023-2024 we have two scholars from Niger and two from Mali. All scholars receive support with their visa applications and travel arrangements from the Chevening Secretariat.

The UK also continues to provide support for education in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso through the Education Cannot Wait Fund, a multilateral fund which supports the provision of education interventions targeting children in emergencies, and through Global Partnership for Education which supports the transformation of education systems globally, including in Burkina Faso and Mali.

The UK is closely monitoring events in Burkina Faso including the worsening security and humanitarian situation. Recent analysis by the UN and NGOs indicates that high numbers of school closures are disrupting education for pupils in Burkina Faso. The UK continues to provide support for education through the Education Cannot Wait Fund, a multilateral fund which supports the provision of education interventions targeting children in emergencies, including in Burkina Faso. The UK also supports the Global Partnership for Education which supports education systems transformation globally, including in Burkina Faso.

The UK notes with concern the worsening security situation in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. We assess that the two largest terrorist groups operating in the Sahel - Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) - will likely seek to exploit opportunities including the crisis in Niger, rising conflict in northern Mali and deteriorating security in Burkina Faso to increase their operational activities, whilst also progressing their regional expansion plans. The terrorist threat in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso will likely increase as a result of ongoing instability, as will the risk of atrocities by jihadist armed groups. The UK is monitoring the security situation in the Sahel closely and continues to provide vital humanitarian aid to support those affected by conflict.