Sudan army retakes Khartoum palace, RSF fights back

SUDAN'S army announces its fighters have entered the presidential palace in the centre of Khartoum. In recent weeks the army has stepped up its campaign against the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city, which it lost at the start of the war in 2023. Reclaiming Khartoum would be a huge victory for the army and a pivotal moment in the conflict. But the RSF says it is fighting back and claims to have launched an attack on the palace. The RSF also still controls large parts of the country – including much of the west. The two-year civil war has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.

Source: BBC News Live Reporting Summary dated Fri 21 Mar 2025 GMT
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5y0w7pjnp2t
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BBC Verify has checked video and images appearing on social media showing Sudanese army forces around the presidential palace in Khartoum: We’ve matched the features of the buildings and grounds to images available on Google and visible on satellite imagery and checked that these videos have not appeared before. They show soldiers celebrating and announcing today’s date. Celebratory gunfire can also be heard. The footage also reveals extensive damage to the outside of the palace, as well as destruction inside one of the buildings.

Source: BBC Verify by Peter Mwai published Fri 21 Mar 2025 10:43 GMT

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5y0w7pjnp2t

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In pictures: Sudanese army celebrates

Many posts on social media are showing jubilant soldiers waving their guns in the air, cheering and kneeling to pray at the entrance to the presidential palace. Here are some stills from footage that's been recorded:

Source: BBC News Live Reporting published Fri 21 Mar 2025 09:13 GMT

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5y0w7pjnp2t?post=asset%3Aada8b5df-4c08-4fe3-9341-0ff9c927ef21#post

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Sudanese soldiers celebrate victory with selfies

More images have been coming through from earlier today of troops celebrating at the presidential palace. The soldiers have been sharing them on social media:

Source: BBC News Live reporting published Fri 21 Mar 2025 12:43 GMT UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5y0w7pjnp2t?post=asset%3A8aa2af5f-0b61-43f1-a282-b23dc6834056#post

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This is not the end of the war

The taking of the presidential palace and - if it happens - the recapture of the entire capital by the army would be a significant moment, but it is not the end of the two-year conflict. The RSF paramilitary force still controls large parts of the country, including much of the western Darfur region which has seen some of the deadliest violence over the past two years.

Source: BBC News Live reporting published Fri 21 Mar 2025 09:18 GMT

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5y0w7pjnp2t?post=asset%3A8c407307-14ca-4ed5-a201-46a7d97c8c37#post

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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

HERE is a speech by UK's Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan held 13 March 2025.

Note, fighting in Sudan has displaced approximately 12.8 million people, roughly 3.7 million of whom have sought refuge in Sudan’s neighbouring countries—the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda. Read more in report from What's in Blue below.

In April, the UK’s Foreign Secretary will convene Foreign Ministers in London to help end the conflict and to improve the humanitarian response.

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From Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 

and Lord Collins of Highbury

Published: Thursday 13 March 2025
Speech location: United Nations, New York
Delivered on 13 March 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) - full copy:

Greater international action is needed to tackle widespread sexual violence in Sudan: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Thank you to our briefers UNICEF and MSF. 

As you have made clear, women and girls in Sudan continue to face the worst horrors of this conflict.

Almost two years since the fighting began, more than 12 million people are now at risk of sexual and gender-based violence, according to UNICEF reports. 

And Sudan’s healthcare system has been decimated by the conflict, making it even harder for survivors to access support.

The UK’s Foreign Secretary travelled to the Sudan-Chad border in January and met survivors of sexual violence who shared their harrowing stories of rape and torture.

And the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has reported that rape and gang rape is widespread in the context of the conflict in Sudan.

Acts of sexual violence constitute crimes under international law. 

And it is the responsibility of this Council to act.

President, it is clear that greater international action is needed to tackle widespread sexual violence in Sudan. The United Kingdom is committed to playing its part.

This week I joined a meeting of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, convened by Ukraine, to discuss the urgent need for joined-up, survivor-centred responses.

Through the UK-funded Women’s Integrated Sexual Health programme, we are providing sexual and reproductive services to women and children in Sudan.

We are also working with UN and NGO partners to provide safe spaces, mobile clinic treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services for survivors.

But to have most impact, it is important that the international community comes together to address sexual violence in Sudan by taking 4 key steps.

First, by continuing to press the warring parties to comply with the commitments they made to protect civilians in the Jeddah Declaration.

Second, by giving support to civil society organisations on the ground who are playing a crucial role in assisting survivors of sexual violence.

Third, by supporting the International Criminal Court and the UN Fact-Finding Mission to carry out impartial investigations.

And fourth, by ensuring that the protection of civilians remains at the top of this Council’s agenda.

President, looking ahead, in April, the UK’s Foreign Secretary will convene Foreign Ministers in London to help end the conflict and to improve the humanitarian response.

Bringing an end to the conflict will be a critical step towards ending sexual and gender-based violence in Sudan.

Colleagues, we must continue working together closely until we achieve that goal.

View original: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/greater-international-action-is-needed-to-tackle-widespread-sexual-violence-in-sudan-uk-statement-at-the-un-security-council

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Related

Report from What's In Blue 

Dated Wednesday 12 March 2025

Sudan: Briefing

Nearly two years into the war, which started on 15 April 2023, Sudan has witnessed a devastating humanitarian crisis, resulting in significant civilian casualties, mass displacement, and acute food and water shortages. 

The crisis has also been marked by a collapse of healthcare and essential services and grave violations of international humanitarian law, including widespread incidents of CRSV.

The fighting has displaced approximately 12.8 million people, roughly 3.7 million of whom have sought refuge in Sudan’s neighbouring countries—the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda.

Full story: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/03/sudan-briefing-5.php

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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).

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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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