Mark has asked Ministers at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the House of Commons what steps they are taking to support the Government of Burkina Faso to tackle regional terrorism.

James Duddridge, Minister for Africa, responded as follows:

The UK is concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso. On 11 June, I spoke with the Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso. I gave my condolences for the Solhan attack on 4 June (the deadliest attack to take place in Burkina Faso since 2015) and discussed UK support to regional stability in the Sahel. Following presidential elections in Burkina Faso in 2020, I welcomed President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré's commitment to peace and development during his second term in office. I have since discussed regional insecurity and its impact on Burkina Faso with him in January this year.

The UK Government is providing security assistance to the wider region. Through our deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), our deployment of Chinook helicopters to the French counter-terrorism mission Barkhane, and our programmatic support for stabilisation and conflict resolution, the UK is committed to building long-term peace and stability in the Sahel. We also provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable in the region, including to some of those affected by conflict in Burkina Faso.