The MP asks whether the Chinook deployment will continue to support the UN mission and inquires when the Royal Scots Light Dragoons on the ground in Mali will be withdrawn.

He asks about the delay in Britain's decision compared to France and Sweden. Will the UK produce a similar strategy to President Macron’s new initiative?

He inquires about updating the integrated review to address gaps in Sahel security thinking.

He asks about the additional funding needed for defence considering inflationary pressures.

The MP criticised the lack of transparency in the UK's decision regarding its MINUSMA deployment, highlighting that the news was leaked to The Times before reaching parliament. He questioned why it took so long for Britain to make the same withdrawal decision as France and Sweden, and asked if the government would produce a similar strategic plan.

The MP questioned whether the situation could worsen after Ukraine as Wagner Group combatants may return to West Africa causing further instability.

The MP asked for detailed diplomatic steps taken against the Wagner Group's presence in Mali and elsewhere, questioned sanctioning options, and inquired about staffing and funding levels for new offices focused on conflict resolution.

I thank the Minister for his statement. Our withdrawal is disappointing, as I suspect it will exacerbate the very reasons for our deployment in the first place, but I clearly accept the political judgment. Will he confirm to the House that the UK force protection profile will be maintained in full accordance with the threat as we withdraw?

The UK deputy permanent representative told the UN Security Council on 10 October that the UK supports MINUSMA—we should pay tribute to the bravery of those troops, given the losses to which my right hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey) referred—but said that there were questions about whether and how the mission can maintain a viable presence in Mali. Given the factors—political instability, the Wagner Group and others—that have led to withdrawal of French and UK troops and those of other nations, what is the Government’s view about the continued operation of MINUSMA in the circumstances in which it now finds itself?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to visit RAF Odiham and see a stripped-down Chinook with the iconic red sand of Africa falling out of it. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the withdrawal is no reflection of the service of those who were in country and those who were working so hard in the UK to support them? And may I press him on what we are doing to combat the Wagner Group in Africa?

In his address to the House earlier this year, President Zelensky asked Parliament to proscribe the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation following atrocities that it had committed in Ukraine. Reports suggest that, since the coup in Mali, the Wagner Group has been linked to massacres in which hundreds of civilians have been killed. Will the Minister commit to speaking to the Home Secretary or the Minister for Security about proscribing the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation?

I was very interested to hear the Minister make reference in his statement to the Chilcot report. In the light of the horrors of Mali and the terrible loss of life there, I understand the withdrawal of French and British troops, but I would like the Minister to be clear about how many British troops are now going to be deployed in that region of Africa. Crucially, what is the long-term aim of this—what exactly are we getting ourselves into?

I put on record my deepest respect for the armed forces who have served in Mali. With the rising threat from extremist groups in the region, does the Minister believe that the withdrawal of troops could lead to an eventual outpouring of refugees, as we saw in Afghanistan?