Sudan: UK diplomats evacuated in ‘complex and rapid’ operation

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2023

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UK diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan after a “significant escalation in violence”, Rishi Sunak has said.

The prime minister also said he was working to ensure British citizens who are still stuck in the country are safe – as they appealed for help getting out.

Mr Sunak said the evacuation of UK diplomats and their dependents was “complex and rapid” and it came amid threats to embassy staff in the capital Khartoum.

British nationals in rescue plea – latest Sudan updates

More than 1,200 British personnel from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the Royal Marines and the RAF were involved in the “difficult operation”.

Mr Sunak said he was “continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed” as he urged the warring sides to lay down their arms and “implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones”.

The British embassy in Khartoum has temporarily been closed as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said UK diplomats were unable to carry out their functions because of the violence. He said they would be redeployed at other missions in the area.

He said a “temporary lull” in the fighting had allowed UK armed forces to get the officials out.

But Britons are making pleas to be taken out of the country so they escape the fighting.

Mr Cleverly said: “The safety and protection of British nationals in Sudan remains a priority for us – a top priority for us – and we will discharge that duty through our embassies based in the area in close coordination with our international friends and partners.”

He warned that until the conflict ends “we are severely limited in our ability to provide assistance to British nationals. I would say to British nationals in the region please register with us”.

William, a British national in Khartoum who has been in the country for six years, told Sky News: “I’m sitting in my chair in my living room, listening to a background of shooting probably 3km away.”

“I’m as safe as anybody can be in Khartoum at the moment.”

‘We need to get out’

He added: “The end game is here now. We feel we need to get out. We’re very concerned there is nothing happening [in terms of an evacuation plan] it seems. We don’t know if this is some wonderful cunning plan that the British government is pursuing.

“It is an extremely concerning situation that’s deteriorating further and further. And the imperative is to get out of Khartoum.

“The favourite route seems to be over land towards Egypt but otherwise we haven’t got any way of doing that at the moment.”

“We’re getting absolutely no help at all [from the Foreign Office].”

“This is – by a factor of 10 – the most dangerous situation I have ever been in, no doubt.”

“What I need most is to hear that there is a plane somewhere outside of Sudan already and as soon as the airport [in Khartoum or elsewhere] is secured… that plane will come swooping in, we’ll get a message saying get to this point and then we’ll get on the plane and we’ll fly home.”

It comes as France, the Netherlands, Belgium and other allies were getting their diplomats and citizens out, hours after US special forces airlifted all American staff from their embassy in Khartoum.

On Saturday, about 70 American nationals were flown from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, an unnamed US official said.

But the White House said it has no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American citizens trapped there.

The US embassy said “due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a US government-coordinated evacuation of private US citizens”.

Hundreds dead in past week

According to the World Health Organization, fighting between forces loyal to two top generals has killed more than 400 people since erupting on 15 April.

The violence has included an unprovoked attack on a US diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers have been killed, injured or assaulted.

An estimated 16,000 US citizens are registered with the embassy as being in Sudan, although that figure is probably inaccurate because there is no requirement for Americans to register or notify the embassy when they leave.

The conflict between the armed forces, headed by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has derailed Sudan’s transition to democratic rule after decades of dictatorship and civil war.

The fighting broke out in Khartoum and other parts of the country four years after long-ruling autocrat Omar al Bashir was toppled during a popular uprising.

World

Joe Biden allows Ukraine to begin firing US rockets deep into Russia – as politician warns it ‘risks World War Three’

Published

6 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Joe Biden allows Ukraine to begin firing US rockets deep into Russia - as politician warns it 'risks World War Three'

Joe Biden has authorised Ukraine to begin firing US-supplied rockets deep into Russia – as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to push for “further support” for Kyiv at the G20 summit.

Mr Biden’s policy shift means Kyiv will now be able to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for long-range attacks, two American officials have told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.

Follow latest: Ukraine war live updates

Ukraine plans to conduct its first such attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.

The US has eased restrictions on the use of ATACMS, which have a range of up to 190 miles, after Russia began deploying North Korean ground troops to supplement its own forces in the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move would deepen America’s involvement in the war.

“It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to… continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict,” Peskov said.

The development was also condemned by Biden officials as a possible expansion of the war.

A Russian politician and the son of President-elect Donald Trump have both likened the move to risking a third world war.

Maria Butina told the Reuters news agency: “These guys, Biden’s administration, is trying to escalate the situation to the maximum while they still have power and are still in office.

“I have a great hope that Trump will overcome this decision if this has been made because they are seriously risking the start of World War Three which is not in anybody’s interest.”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr wrote on X: “The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives… Imbeciles!”

The outgoing Biden administration’s move comes as there are concerns about the level of support the Trump White House may be willing to give Ukraine.

Mr Trump has previously vowed to limit US support for Ukraine and end its war with Russia.

In an evening address after Kyiv was given permission to fire deep into Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “Today, there’s a lot of talk in the media about us receiving permission for respective actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves. They certainly will.”

Back in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said if the US were to lift the ban on long-range missile use it would be seen as NATO’s “direct participation” in the war.

He added: “This, of course, will significantly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict.”

Meanwhile, the UK prime minister has said he has “no plans” to speak with the Russian president as world leaders gather for the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Mr Putin will not be attending the two-day summit which starts on Monday after saying in October that his presence would “disrupt the normal work of this forum”. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will be attending instead.

It will take place days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Mr Putin on what was the Russian leader’s first publicly announced conversation with the sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years.

Asked if he had any plans to make a similar call, Sir Keir said: “It’s a matter for Chancellor Scholz who he speaks to. I have no plans to speak to Putin.”

Speaking to reporters while on his way to the summit, he added: “We are coming up to the 1,000th day of this conflict on Tuesday.

“That’s 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of huge impact and sacrifice in relation to the Ukrainian people and recently we’ve seen the addition of North Korean troops working with Russians which does have serious implications.

“I think on one hand it shows the desperation of Russia, but it’s got serious implications for European security […] and for Indo-Pacific security and that’s why I think we need to double down on shoring up our support for Ukraine and that’s top of my agenda for the G20.

“There’s got to be full support as long as it takes and that certainly is top of my agenda, shoring up that further support for Ukraine.”

The latest developments come after Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine on Sunday, with Mr Zelenskyy claiming Moscow had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones.

Two major strikes, which left a total of 18 people dead, hit a residential building in the northeastern city of Sumy as well as energy infrastructure across Ukraine, prompting emergency power cuts.

Hours later, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia’s air defence units had destroyed a drone heading towards the city.

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It’s a stunning shift in US policy – but Biden’s announcement will trigger fury and fresh threats from Moscow

Published

6 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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It's a stunning shift in US policy - but Biden's announcement will trigger fury and fresh threats from Moscow

Joe Biden’s belated decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied, long-range missiles inside Russia will be cheered by Kyiv and will almost certainly prompt the UK to follow suit.

But the stunning shift in US policy – just weeks before Donald Trump takes over as US president – will also trigger fury and fresh threats from Moscow at a time of increasing uncertainty about the future course of its war.

President Vladimir Putin has warned the West they would be playing with fire if they allowed Ukrainian forces to launch Western-supplied cruise and ballistic missiles at Russia, saying it could even trigger a global conflict.

British and US officials, though, have repeatedly advised their respective capitals not to be intimidated by Moscow’s sabre rattling.

Ukraine war latest: Biden lifts ban on Russia strikes

Yet there has been hesitancy, particularly in Washington, over the unleashing of US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) ballistic missiles beyond the borders of Ukraine.

However, it seems that a move by North Korea to send thousands of its troops to fight with Russia has changed US calculations.

The New York Times, which was among the US media organisations to break news of the Biden administration’s decision on long-range missiles, reported that the first time the American weapons will be used inside Russia will likely be against Russian and North Korean troops battling a Ukrainian incursion in the Russian region of Kursk.

While a significant step up in support for Ukraine, the ability to use American long-range missiles inside Russia is not a war-winning development.

But it does expand Kyiv’s capacity to hit important military targets deliberately positioned by Russian commanders far back from the frontline. This includes stockpiles of missiles, drones and other ammunition used to strike Ukraine.

Just as important as the military impact, though, is the political signal that the US decision sends to the Kremlin about Washington’s willingness to defy Russian warnings about dire consequences should Mr Biden dare to grant Ukraine the permission it’s so long been seeking.

The dramatic move by the US comes after months of lobbying by Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A key thing to watch now will be how Mr Putin reacts the first time an American missile kills Russian soldiers on Russian soil.

Moscow does not want a direct war with the United States and NATO – nuclear-armed forces with far greater combined firepower – but the Kremlin could well ramp up an already heightened campaign of sabotage and other forms of hybrid warfare across Europe.

Another important reaction to track will be how Mr Trump responds to Mr Biden’s move and whether he continues to allow Ukraine this permission once he takes over as the US commander-in-chief.

The president-elect has vowed to end Russia’s war in Ukraine quickly but he has not said how. Yet he has voiced fierce opposition to the continued gifting of vast quantities of American weapons to the Ukrainian military.

It is a reason perhaps for Ukraine to make use of its new freedoms with US missiles as quickly as possible.

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Vladimir Shklyarov: Russian ballet star dies aged 39 after ‘fall from building’

Published

6 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Vladimir Shklyarov: Russian ballet star dies aged 39 after 'fall from building'

An acclaimed Russian ballet dancer has died aged 39 after reportedly falling off a balcony.

Vladimir Shklyarov, one of the world’s top male ballet stars, died on Saturday night, according to the Mariinsky Theatre, where he was a principal dancer.

The St Petersburg theatre said: “It is with profound sadness that the Mariinsky Theatre announces the untimely passing of principal dancer Vladimir Shklyarov.

“Shklyarov, a beloved artist and audience favourite, died tragically on 16 November.

“His loss is deeply felt by the entire Mariinsky family and the wider ballet world.”

The Mariinsky Theatre told Sky News Shklyarov had a back injury at the time, and was due to have “complicated spinal surgery” on Monday 18 November. He was “taking serious pain medication”.

A spokesperson for the theatre was reported in Russian media at the weekend as saying he had fallen from the fifth floor of a building.

Dancers have been paying tribute to Shklyarov, who was married to fellow company dancer Maria Shklyarov, with whom he had two children.

Former ballerina Irina Bartnovskaya said Shklyarov had been at home, on pain relief, preparing for foot surgery at the time of his death.

In a post on Telegram, she continued: “He went out onto the balcony to get some air and smoke, lost his balance (a very narrow balcony) and fell down (from the 5th floor).

“Stupid, unbearable accident.”