Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Cameroon on the potential impact of (a) releasing people detained in relation to (i) protests and unarmed political organisation and (ii) advocacy prior to the outbreak of armed violence in autumn 2017 on peacebuilding and (b) arbitrary detention on security.

The UK Government has not had any conversations with the Cameroon Government specifically on the release of prisoners in relation to the conflict in the North-West and South-West regions. We are committed, however, to supporting a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I [Minister Mitchell] made this clear in meetings with Cameroon's Prime Minister and Secretary General to the Presidency during my visit in April 2023.