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 issues. Since 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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End

Europe's Eutelsat to help replace Starlink in Ukraine?

EUTELSAT'S stock price has more than quadrupled since a public row on February 28 between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, after which Washington paused military aid to Ukraine. Eutelsat already supports government and institutional communications in Ukraine, and told Reuters it can provide an alternative for certain government and defence applications. Here is a summary by Reuters of how Eutelsat might help Ukraine meet its communication needs.

Eutelsat OneWeb Form World’s 1st GEO-LEO Comms Operator.

Source: Orbital Today 29 Sep 2023

Space Security Conference: Negotiating European Space Sovereignty In The New World Order. Source: Orbital Today 10 Mar 2025 

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Report from Reuters
By Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Gianluca Lo Nostro in Gdansk; 

Additional reporting by Michal Aleksandrowicz; Editing by Kevin Liffey
Dated Friday, 7 March 2025 6:36 PM GMT - full copy:

Explainer: Could Europe's Eutelsat help to replace Starlink in Ukraine?

The logo of the European satellite operator Eutelsat is pictured at the company's headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France, August 17, 2022. Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

STOCKHOLM/GDANSK, March 5 (Reuters) - Suggestions that Ukraine could lose access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system, which has been vital in maintaining its military communications as it fights Russia's invasion, have focused investor interest on Starlink's smaller European rival Eutelsat (ETL.PA).

.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last month that the United States might use Starlink access as a lever in talks with Kyiv about its critical minerals, and the Franco-British company has said it is talking to the EU about providing additional services to Ukraine.

Eutelsat's stock price has more than quadrupled since a public row on February 28 between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump, after which Washington paused military aid to Ukraine.

Here is a summary of how Eutelsat might help Ukraine to meet its communication needs:

HOW CRUCIAL IS STARLINK TO UKRAINE?

Starlink users access the internet for data or voice communication by using a small satellite dish to bounce signals off a constellation of satellites overhead.

Ukraine's fixed-line and mobile networks have been badly damaged by bombing since Russia invaded in February 2022, and Starlink has helped Kyiv to fill the void by sending tens of thousands of its dishes with terminals.

Some are made available to civilians, often trying to contact relatives on smartphones.

But most are used by Ukraine's armed forces, which also have to contend with heavy signal jamming and interception of communications on the front lines. Ukrainian units often talk to each other via Starlink, and its services have become virtually indispensable for battlefield command and control.

Ukraine also used Starlink to guide attack drones until Musk's rocket firm SpaceX curbed the practice two years ago.

Originally, SpaceX helped to fund provision of Starlink to Ukraine. The U.S. government then took over, though last month Poland said it had been paying Ukraine's Starlink subscription and would continue to do so.

HOW DOES EUTELSAT COMPARE TO STARLINK?

Eutelsat already supports government and institutional communications in Ukraine, and told Reuters that it can provide an alternative for certain government and defence applications.

Since its merger in 2023 with Britain's OneWeb, Eutelsat controls the only operational global-coverage constellation, besides Starlink, of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO).

Starlink's more than 7,000 LEO satellites, suited to real-time communication, allow it to reach more users around the world and offer higher data speeds.

But Eutelsat says that, even with only 630 or so LEO satellites, backed up by 35 linked satellites in higher, geostationary orbit, it offers the same capabilities as Starlink in Europe.

Starlink promises broadband at up to 200 megabits per second, Eutelsat 150.

OneWeb terminals, however, cost as much as $10,000, plus a monthly subscription price. Starlink charges Ukrainian users a one-time payment of $589 in addition to a monthly subscription of $95-$440, depending on the usage.

It is not known whether any donor would offer to fund more Ukrainian OneWeb subscriptions. France and Britain, which are spearheading a peace deal to present to the U.S., hold a combined 24.8% stake in Eutelsat Group.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES?

Global competition to Starlink is shaping up, but slowly.

Luxembourg-based SES (SESFg.LU) delivers some satellite services to the Western NATO defence alliance via its medium earth orbit constellation of O3b mPOWER satellites.

But like many other legacy satellite operators, it prioritises corporate customers, governments and militaries, offering no direct-to-consumer services, with terminals that are not consumer-friendly.

Some EU initiatives such as IRIS² (pronounced 'Iris squared') and GOVSATCOM - which Kyiv is interested in - will take years to become fully operational.

(This story has been corrected to say 'sources familiar with the matter,' not 'negotiators,' in paragraph 2)

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View original and video (02:56 min) here: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/could-europes-eutelsat-help-replace-starlink-ukraine-2025-03-05/

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Related

From Times of India

Dated 11 March 2025

How and why Elon Musk's public spat with Poland FM led to almost 400% jump in stock price of Europe's Starlink rival

Eutelsat's stock skyrocketed nearly 390% last week due to speculation it may replace SpaceX's Starlink in Ukraine. The French satellite company is exploring an expanded role in Ukraine and is negotiating with the EU to bolster internet services. ... Eutelsat, Europe's rival to Elon Musk's Starlink, has seen ...

Full story: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/118888047.cms

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