The UK is sending 250 soldiers to Mali to join the UN peacekeeping mission in 2020. Mali faces considerable political, security and governance challenges, compounded by a military coup in August 2020. This Commons Library briefing paper looks at the deployment and the situation in Mali.
Documents to download
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Military forces in Syria and the rise of the jihadis (130 KB, PDF)
The tempo of the violence in Syria continues to quicken as increasing amounts of weaponry are entering the country.
Sunni fundamentalist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusrah are increasingly important, boosted by support, much of it from the Gulf. Some analysts think that jihadi groups such as this are now more significant than the mainstream Free Syrian Army.
The Syrian government is receiving substantial support from Iran, often in collaboration with the Lebanese Hizballah militia, and continues to take delivery of weapons from Russia. As the rebellion becomes stronger and better-armed, the government is likely to make even more use of its air power and stock of missiles.
It is not clear yet to what extent, if any, chemical weapons have been used, despite competing claims from both sides. However, there is growing concern in Western capitals that they may have already been used.
Documents to download
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Military forces in Syria and the rise of the jihadis (130 KB, PDF)
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The Government presented the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill on 18 March 2020, thereby meeting its 100-day self imposed deadline. Second Reading has been scheduled for 23 September 2020. Aspects of the Bill are already generating controversy.
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A general debate on the settlement and annexation of the occupied Palestinian Territories has been scheduled for Thursday 24 September 2020 in the Main Chamber. This debate was selected by the Backbench Business Committee.
