Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to minimise risks of damage to Malian civilian (a) lives, (b) security, (c) wellbeing following the announcement of sanctions by ECOWAS and the closure of borders on 10 December 2022.

We note that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed a range of measures against Mali, following the Malian transitional authorities request to delay elections by up to five years. These measures include regional border closures and a suspension of non-essential commercial transactions, as announced at the ECOWAS Summit on 9 January. The UK has consistently called for elections and a return to constitutional rule in line with the conditions set out by ECOWAS. I made this clear in my statement on 29 September 2021, and the UK Government again reiterated its position in the joint statement with international partners on 23 December 2021.

We stand behind ECOWAS mediation efforts and continue to call on the Malian transitional authorities to prepare for elections without delay so that constitutional order can be restored as soon as possible. We are monitoring the situation closely, including risks to UK nationals and troops. We remain committed to providing support to those most in need in Mali. We are in touch with partners, including agencies on the ground, to assess potential unintended consequences for humanitarian needs and the ability of our humanitarian partners to respond.