Only those he starts.
Sudanese coup d'etat.
- Thread starter tim
- Start date
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
The UK diplomats were first out the door, before any other diplomats. Bloody useless anyway as those like chilango who've needed their help can aver. Very good at running away, less good at what they're supposed to do for UK nationals
JimW
支那暗杀团
Bit of background on how we got to this situation: In Sudan, a Deadly Reckoning for Rival Forces
eatmorecheese
He's fallen out of the car again
That's a good summary of the background and of the recent diplomatic fuck ups. It also sort of explains the reported differences in understanding the situation between the foreign office and the intelligence services. Oh dear.
kebabking
Not a Girly Swot, but I like them....
Russians - via Wagner - have been backing both sides, to ensure they back the winner.
The US, and wider west - as ever - haven't backed anyone with much enthusiasm, and so all sides have found other patrons, knowing how the US won't stay the course if it gets nasty.
Its akin to the late medieval practice of 'Good Lordship' - the gentry work to a patron: he uses his power to help them with local squabbles in the courts, they turn up on the battlefield. The great magnates stand or fall by the 'Good Lordship' they give to their followers - and the gentry (local warlords) will chop and change patrons if their interests aren't being vigorously upheld by the magnate (US/Russia/China/France etc...
The Paston Letters are an excellent way to understand how the client/patron system works - horses are now Hilux's, bowmen now have AK-47's, but it's the same principles...
The US, and wider west - as ever - haven't backed anyone with much enthusiasm, and so all sides have found other patrons, knowing how the US won't stay the course if it gets nasty.
Its akin to the late medieval practice of 'Good Lordship' - the gentry work to a patron: he uses his power to help them with local squabbles in the courts, they turn up on the battlefield. The great magnates stand or fall by the 'Good Lordship' they give to their followers - and the gentry (local warlords) will chop and change patrons if their interests aren't being vigorously upheld by the magnate (US/Russia/China/France etc...
The Paston Letters are an excellent way to understand how the client/patron system works - horses are now Hilux's, bowmen now have AK-47's, but it's the same principles...
kebabking
Not a Girly Swot, but I like them....
I fear for Ukraine...
teqniq
DisMembered
More tales of UK incompetence/indifference:
www.theguardian.com
I am finally out of Sudan with my family, and safe – no thanks to the British government | Leila Latif
We’ve been living in a warzone. Why have other countries managed to get their citizens out, but not Britain, asks writer and critic Leila Latif
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
None of that surprises me. But there's one very small point that they don't address. When I lived there I was advised to register at the embassy ASAP so that they had all my details in case something like this happened so that I could be contacted. I was also told registration could take several days.More tales of UK incompetence/indifference:
I am finally out of Sudan with my family, and safe – no thanks to the British government | Leila Latif
We’ve been living in a warzone. Why have other countries managed to get their citizens out, but not Britain, asks writer and critic Leila Latif
I don't, in any way whatsoever, condone the behaviour of the embassy or government. That has been, at best, diabolical. But a very small part of me wonders if it might have been better if people had been registered. Of course I'm also assuming the government and embassy had actually been there to help.
baldrick
hmmmmm
MickiQ
In My Defence I was left Unsupervised
It was on the Beeb news this morning as well but they said up to 24 doctors in this position. I suspect this is more lack of forethought and planning with the odd 'jobsworth' thrown in rather than maliciousness.
Presumably the doc has proof that he is entitled to be in the UK even though he is a not a British citizen. Somewhat disappointed that no-one in charge on the ground didn't just say "Fuck it just stick him in the first spare seat"
Presumably the doc has proof that he is entitled to be in the UK even though he is a not a British citizen. Somewhat disappointed that no-one in charge on the ground didn't just say "Fuck it just stick him in the first spare seat"
MickiQ
In My Defence I was left Unsupervised
Depends on what he showed up with. If he turned up with his Sudanese passport with that magic phrase 'Right To Remain' stamped in it and maybe his NHS id, then it is indeed disappointing that rules or not he wasn't just waved through.
There is a school of thought (many proponents of which can be found here on U75) that would hold to the view that anyone turning up and saying I fear for my life should be allowed on the plane regardless but there is no real-world possibility of that ever happening.
There is a school of thought (many proponents of which can be found here on U75) that would hold to the view that anyone turning up and saying I fear for my life should be allowed on the plane regardless but there is no real-world possibility of that ever happening.
bimble
floofy
That thing in the independent said that the official line, from number 10 is that there is "an element of discretion" about who might get rescued. That does seems unforgivable, what even does that mean, not sending a clear message out either way will get people killed, risking their lives to get to the airport through a warzone because of course you would.
teqniq
DisMembered
Russia’s Wagner group fighting in Sudan and patrolling evacuation port as UK citizens flee
Fuck Wagner. Absolute scum. It may however go some way to explaining this:
Fuck Wagner. Absolute scum. It may however go some way to explaining this:
gosub
~#
Well it can't have made it easier to help the 2000 people that had looked to the FCDO for assistance
gosub
~#
Well on the plus side one less database to leave behind
teqniq
DisMembered
Not much ceasefire going on here according to this. The rather bizarre strapline becomes a little more explanatory if you read the article:
sudantribune.com
Peace groups deploy combatants to protect civilians in North Darfur - Sudan Tribune
April 27, 2023 (EL-GENEINA) – Five armed movements, signatory of the Juba peace agreement, on Thursday, deployed hundreds of fighters on four-wheel drive vehicles to secure the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. The deployment aims at protecting civilians from militia attacks...
sudantribune.com
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kebabking
Not a Girly Swot, but I like them....
Ceasefire means envelopes of used $$$$$$...
pseudonarcissus
fluttering and dancing
The FCO stopped their registration scheme a few years ago...when I moved to Rio they encouraged you to register.
ETA, and in-country emergency phone lines go to a centralised call centre somewhere. Consular services for Brits are not a priority anymore.
eatmorecheese
He's fallen out of the car again
The diplomatic service has endured a lot of cuts over many years and these have affected consular services. Easy to do when the image of civil servants claiming perks and expenses in cushy postings is common, as well as the difficulty of justifying the expenditure to UK taxpayers.
My recently departed dad retired 22 years ago (and stopped being a Consul in the early 1980's) so I have little understanding of how UK diplomats have to work now tbh.
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