Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the coup in Niger on international security.

The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in Niger. As seen in Mali, Burkina Faso, and now Niger, the erosion of democracy exacerbates conflict, violence, and instability. HMG assess that terrorist violence in Niger is highly likely to increase in the next 24 months as a result of the coup alone. This may have knock-on impacts for regional security. The UK continues to closely monitor the terrorist threat from the Sahel, and its impact on littoral West Africa and North Africa. The UK has proscribed Al Qaeda and its associated groups such as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).