20th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Living History General Charles Gordon is one of the totemic figures in the shared history of the UK and Sudan: the leader of the British Force in Sudan killed on the steps of what is now the Presidential Palace by the Mahdi’s army in 1885. In the last couple of weeks two descendants of General […]
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27th January 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Last week Mr Mark Simmonds came to stay. He is the Minister for Africa in the Foreign Office. He spent two days here meeting Government Ministers and senior Officials, representatives from several political parties, civil society and the business community. He also squeezed in time for a brief sunset boat trip on the Nile. There […]
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10th December 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Today marks international Human Rights Day. This year we are celebrating 20 years of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Around the world a number of events will celebrate the success of a collective effort to tackle human rights abuses and protection of citizens. Sudan is a signatory to many of the […]
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12th November 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Every year since the First World War came to an end in 1918 at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, it has been a tradition on the Sunday closest to it to commemorate and remember all those lost as a result of conflict and its aftermath. Sudan sadly is no […]
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10th October 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I have just spent a couple of days in Kassala and Gadarif. I know that some people think it is strange for Ambassadors to make visits outside the capital. Of course most of my business is with the Government in Khartoum. But I am the ambassador to Sudan, not to Khartoum. It’s important not to […]
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3rd September 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I returned from an extended Eid holiday last week. We stayed in Khartoum for the first day of Eid, sharing in Sudanese culture marking the end of Ramadan. After that we left for two weeks holiday in Europe, where I had the opportunity to re-immerse in my own culture. Cultures are important. They are the […]
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29th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Traditionally the embassy hosts a large Iftar for our Sudanese friends and partners. This year we are doing things a little differently. I am hosting half a dozen smaller Iftars to which we have invited 20 or 30 guests only. I am enjoying these Iftars greatly. They are special events. It is clear that for […]
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24th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Last week I had the honour of being invited to speak to a distinguished group of Sudanese ambassadors, academics, journalists and members of civil society at the Future Studies Centre. I spoke about what I always speak about: The UK-Sudan relationship, what the British embassy does here, and what we try to achieve. It’s often […]
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17th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
On the 12 of June we celebrated the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen with a big party. As is customary on these occasions, I made a speech which concentrated on the UK’s relationship with Sudan and our role here. Here are some of things I said: “The historical ties between the UK and Sudan […]
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29th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
One of the pleasure as well as duties of an Ambassador is to visit as much as possible of the country to which he is posted. How else can you get a sense of the size, diversity and make-up of a country? You can’t really understand a country and its people by just sitting in […]
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