Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes underlying the increase in military takeovers in Africa in the past year, in particular in (1) Chad, (2) Guinea, (3) Sudan, (4) Mali, and (5) Burkina Faso; and what steps they intend to take in response through their (a) foreign, and (b) aid, policies.

We are concerned by the deteriorating situation across the Sahel and the impact on regional security. We joined the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, and international partners to condemn the coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali. We call for the return to democratic, civilian and constitutional rule without delay. In a meeting with ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, on 22 February, the Minister for Africa set out the UK's continued support for ECOWAS' mediation efforts. In Chad, we condemned the killing of President Idriss Deby in April 2021, and are working with the African Union to support a return to civilian and constitutional rule.

We also condemned the actions of the Sudanese military in October 2021 and issued statements alongside Troika (UK, Norway, US) and quad (UK, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE) partners. We urge all political actors to engage in UN-facilitated dialogue to end the crisis and engage with all parties to demonstrate support for the democratic transition.