Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, when pursuing diplomatic relations with the government of France, what consideration they have given to "Fashoda syndrome", a concept describing the priority given by the government of France to asserting French influence in parts of Africa which are perceived to be susceptible to British influence.

We work very closely with France on key global challenges, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. This includes in Africa, where the UK and France are committed to cooperating to support peace, stability, resilience and economic development across the continent. For example, we have both been involved in the regional effort against Boko Haram, and our forces operate side-by-side to combat extremism in the Sahel, where UK Chinooks provide support to French troops.