Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the (1) economic situation, and (2) political situation, in Mali.

Mali is marked by chronic poverty and increasing humanitarian needs, driven by factors including rapid population growth, political instability, conflict and climate change. The International Monetary Fund estimates that COVID-19 and the socio-political crisis has resulted in the Malian economy contracting by 2 per cent in 2020, although a recovery to 4 per cent growth is expected in 2021. The UK Government are concerned that over 7 million people need humanitarian assistance in Mali, according to the UN. In December 2020, the UK announced an additional £8 million of emergency aid to reach 275,000 more vulnerable people in the central Sahel, including Mali.

The UK has welcomed the priorities set out by Mali's Transitional Government and the establishment of the National Transitional Council. We hope that the Transitional Government will prepare for credible elections, take steps to implement the 2015 Peace Agreement, and tackle corruption and impunity. In the UN Security Council, the UK has called for the Transitional Government to build consensus across society ahead of elections and investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses. Through our programmes, our diplomatic work and our recent deployment of 300 troops to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, the UK is supporting stabilisation and progress on the peace process.