Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts

Sunday, April 13, 2025

UK's non-stop support to Sudan over past 22+ years

PEOPLE who criticise the United Kingdom's non-stop support to Sudan over the past 22+ years do not know what they are talking about. Sudan is a former British protectorate. Historic ties between Britain and Sudan stretch back more than a century. The UK has never stopped caring about Sudan.

Below is a must-see UN video followed by reports from the hundreds in Sudan Watch's archive relating to the UK's support to Sudan since 2003. 

Note that the UK is a 'Penholder' at the United Nations (UN). This includes (but is not limited to) Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The US is the penholder on Sudan sanctions and South Sudan

According to a report by the UN Security Council: 


"With few exceptions, Council outcomes on specific conflict-related situations are drafted by one of the P3 (France, the UK and the US) as the self-appointed penholders.


Permanent members China and Russia have in recent years occasionally served as co-penholders with the US on non-proliferation issues in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Golan Heights, respectively. Elected members have served as penholders on Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau and some thematic issues (see Annex for details)."


France is one of the founding members of the UN and plays a key role in many issuesSince 1945, it has been a member of the Security Council where it sits as a permanent member alongside the United Kingdom, the United States, China and Russia.


Sudan: Vote on a Draft Resolution to Protect Civilians

WATCH VIDEO: 14 in favour, 1 against (Russia), 0 abstentions

Chaired by the UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs The Rt Hon David Lammy MP. A powerful speech by Mr Lammy is on the video, after the vote, followed by statements given by the representative for each country, including Russia and Sudan.

Live broadcast courtesy of UN Media 18 Nov 2024 2:30PM GMT UK

Click “Settings” cog for sub-titles in English, Russian, Spanish, Interlingua, Chinese, Arabic, French.

Related reports: Sudan Watch - 18 Nov 2024

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Sudan Watch - 23 Aug 2004

British Government behind African troops - Britain stands ready to provide further assistance if necessary

Sudan is a former British protectorate. Britain is the world's largest cash donor, and the second-largest contributor of aid, to Sudan. 

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2004/08/british-government-behind-african.html

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Sudan Watch - 06 Oct 2004

Blair arrives in Khartoum to press for Darfur peace - Blair outlines demands to Sudan

British Prime Minister Tony Blair flew in to Khartoum earlier today. He is the most senior Western government official to visit Sudan since the Darfur conflict erupted.

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2004/10/blair-arrives-in-khartoum-to-press-for.html

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Sudan Watch - 21 Feb 2006

Benn: UK to provide 20 million pounds for African Union mission in Sudan

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2006/02/benn-uk-to-provide-20-million-pounds.html

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Video report by Associated Press - 29 March 2017

UK minister in Sudan to discuss cooperation



(29 Mar 2017) Britain and Sudan agreed on Wednesday to strengthen their cooperation in the fight against "violent extremism". The commitment followed a meeting between delegations from the two countries in Khartoum. Director for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Neil Wigan led the British delegation, while Sudan's Undersecretary at the Foreign Ministry Abdul Ghani al-Naeem the Sudanese. The issues of human trafficking, illegal immigration were also on the agenda. The last strategic dialogue between the two countries took place in London last October.

View original at YouTube: https://youtu.be/b6o275gk8FQ

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UK Ministry of Defence - 02 May 2017

UK troops deploy to South Sudan to support peacekeeping mission

The latest deployment of British troops has arrived in South Sudan to continue support to the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping mission.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-troops-deploy-to-south-sudan-to-support-peacekeeping-mission

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Sudan Watch - 29 Mar 2024

UK doubles its aid to Sudan to £89m as crisis escalates

UK CHANNEL 4 NEWS VIDEO FROM CHAD-SUDAN


Click on “Settings” cog /auto-translate/ options for 

sub-titles in preferred language.


Full story: https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/03/uk-channel-4-news-video-from-chad-sudan.html

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Sudan Watch - 21 Nov 2024

Sudan: Furious row at UN as Russia blocks resolution to protect civilians. SAF chief praises Russia UN veto

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/11/sudan-furious-row-at-un-as-russia.html

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Sudan Watch - 25 Jan 2025

US freezes nearly all foreign assistance worldwide. UK announces £20m in additional funding to Sudan

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2025/01/us-freezes-nearly-all-foreign.html

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Sudan Watch - 19 Feb 2025

Sudan calls on the UK to engage ‘as friends’ rather than through confrontation at international forums

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2025/02/sudan-calls-on-uk-to-engage-as-friends.html

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Sudan Watch - 13 Mar 2025

UK statement at UNSC: In April, UK's Foreign Secretary will convene FM's in London to help end Sudan conflict and improve humanitarian response

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2025/03/uk-statement-at-unsc-in-april-uks.html

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Postscript


Sudan Watch - 08 Jan 2025

Sudan is the Origin of Humanity, Says Oxford Study

According to the two articles copied here below, everybody alive today came from one African country, Sudan. Note that an excerpt from World History says: "Kush was a kingdom in northern Africa in the region corresponding to modern-day Sudan. The larger region around Kush (later referred to as Nubia) was inhabited c. 8,000 BCE but The Kingdom of Kush rose much later."

Full story: https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2025/01/sudan-is-origin-of-humanity-says-oxford.html

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The 50th anniversary plaque of the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly


Click for larger image here: Wikipedia

"To the glory of God and in prayer for peace on earth / This tablet commemorates the first meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, Jan 10 - Feb 14 1946"  [Hat tip: Dr Antony Stokes LVO OBE]

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Sunday, February 16, 2025

“Bastards” one British defence official said of the Americans on hearing US purported plan for Ukraine

HERE below are dozens of news reports covering the past five days that shook US-UK-Europe relations while the 61st Munich Security Conference was held 14-16 Feb 2025. Much of the conference, a centre of international diplomacy, was live-streamed. Recordings can be found here.
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From BBC News Live Reporting
Edited by Alex Therrien and Frances Mao
Published Sunday 16 February 2025 at 20:09 PM GMT - full copy:

Timeline: Five days that shook US-Europe relations

Donald Trump's administration has been accelerating action to end the war in Ukraine, in a drastic shift in US policy on the conflict. 


Here's a run-down of the key moments day-by-day:


Wednesday 12 February: Trump shocks European allies by revealing he had a "lengthy" phone call with Russian President, with both leaders agreeing to begin negotiations to end the Ukraine war


Thursday 13 February: Zelensky says Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal drawn up without its involvement. European allies back him


Friday 14 February: JD Vance uses his Munich Security Conference speech to scald European democracies, almost entirely ignoring Ukraine – the conference’s key focus


Saturday 15 February: In his own speech to the conference, Zelensky calls for the creation of an “army of Europe”. The US announces peace talks will be held in Saudi Arabia. But it provokes further consternation by saying Europe will be consulted but not involved in the negotiations


Sunday 16 February: The BBC learns that Kyiv has not been invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia. European leaders schedule an emergency summit in Paris to discuss the war and European security

Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A3e01acb2-6c8c-42ff-bd8f-817d83d55b76#po


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From BBC News online

By James Waterhouse

Ukraine correspondent

Reporting from Kyiv

Maia Davies

BBC News

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 20:38 PM GMT - excerpt: 


Ukraine not invited to US-Russia peace talks, source tells BBC


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement. 


Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source has told the BBC. 


European leaders have also not been asked to join the discussions, and are due to meet instead on Monday [17 Feb] in Paris at a summit hastily arranged by the French president, as fears grow the continent is being locked out of negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm292319gr2o


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Related reports

From BBC News online

By Luke Mintz, The World This Weekend

Chas Geiger, Politics reporter

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 18:13 PM GMT - excerpt:


US isolation threatens global democracy, warns Major


Sir John Major has warned that democracy is under threat as the United States steps back from its leading role in the world.


The former prime minister told the BBC that US President Donald Trump's policy of American "isolation" was creating a power vacuum that would embolden nations like Russia and China.


Sir John, who was PM from 1990 to 1997, said the gains made since the collapse of the Soviet Union were now being reversed - and that there was "no doubt" Russia would invade elsewhere before long.


He said that "ugly nationalism" growing concurrently was making for a "very unsettled time".


His comments come as European leaders prepare for an emergency summit on Monday on the war in Ukraine.


US and Russian officials are due to open peace talks in the coming days despite concerns European nations including Ukraine were being locked out.


Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gwngxdd1vo

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BBC News Live Reporting - Some Summaries covering 12-16 Feb 2025


Donald Trump says he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine "immediately"


Both Trump and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two presidents agreed to visit each other's nations during the call


Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed that the Ukrainian president also spoke to his American counterpart in an hour-long phone call


That Trump and Putin have something to talk about is quite promising, our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes - but today's development "has been a bit of a cold shower for both Ukraine and Nato"


Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is answering reporters' questions in the briefing room - you can watch live at the top of this page


Earlier, a US House committee heard from witnesses about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), after Trump signed an executive order to give more power to the body, which is not an official government agency

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has warned world leaders "against trusting Putin's claims of readiness to end the war"


This comes after the Kremlin confirmed Ukraine will "of course" take part in any peace deal negotiations


Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday before announcing they agreed talks to end the Ukraine war could start "immediately"


After a Nato meeting in Brussels, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said peace negotiations will involve elements neither Moscow nor Kyiv wants while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said Putin must not be able to "grab another square mile" of Ukraine 


Earlier, Trump said there was now a "good possibility" of ending the war


Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, eight years after it unilaterally annexed Crimea

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Ukrainian officials will not attend Russia-US talks to be held in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, the BBC has learned


A government source tells BBC News that Ukraine has not been invited and will not send a delegation 


Two of Trump's closest foreign policy advisers - Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff - will travel to Saudi Arabia tonight ahead of the talks 


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly warned he would not accept any deal struck without his country's input


Elsewhere, European leaders will gather in France for an emergency summit tomorrow [Mon 17 Feb], amid US efforts to agree a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine


It comes after US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week to discuss a possible deal 


After a chaotic week, Zelensky is trying to re-assert his position, our correspondent in Ukraine James Waterhouse writes

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Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday16 Feb 2025 at 18:38 PM GMT - full copy:


Europe has been sending more aid to Ukraine than the US


Who in the West is giving more to Ukraine? Europe has overtaken the US in Ukraine aid, research from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, external shows.


In total, Europe has allocated €70bn (£58bn) in financial and humanitarian aid as well as €62bn in military aid.


This compares to €50bn from the US in financial and humanitarian allocations and €64bn in military aid. A nine-month battle over spending in US Congress in mid-2023 stalled Ukraine aid. 


When considering the aid as a share of donor GDP, Germany, the UK and the US have mobilised less than 0.2% of their annual GDP to support Ukraine. Other rich donor countries like France, Italy and Spain allocated roughly 0.1% of their annual GDP.


Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A7e02d38e-e256-43d8-8c0d-450a0cf5bee9#post

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Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday 16 Feb 2025 at 19:33 PM GMT - full copy:


US sent questionnaire to Europe on Ukraine security contributions


The US sent a document to European governments asking what the countries could contribute towards Ukraine's security arrangements, it has emerged.


The questionnaire sent last week, obtained by Reuters, also asked European nations what they would need from Washington to participate in security arrangements.


The document consisted of six points and questions, asking which countries could contribute to Ukraine's security, and which would be willing to send troops as part of a peace deal.


It comes after US President Donald Trump shocked Europe this week by phoning Russian President Vladimir Putin and declaring an immediate start to peace talks.


Share: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crr0gngkjrvt?post=asset%3A5c2b7e27-0f34-458c-9739-330f51ff11b1#post

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Further reading


Analysis: Zelensky joins a growing list of US allies who are finding that the world according to Trump is a more uncertain place for them, writes the BBC's Jeremy Bowen


News story: Zelensky says no peace deal without Ukraine involvement


Ukraine in maps: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60506682


Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4g97971rwnt


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