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Peter B
Peter B
1 year ago

Point me to a single country anywhere in the world that has benefited from Russian “assistance” in the last 100 years.
This is surely not a coincidence.
And we like to beat ourselves up about what our ancestors did a hundred or more years ago in British colonies. At least we left something positive (schools, rule of law, etc.).

Charles Stanhope
Charles Stanhope
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter B

Ironically the Sudan* was the zenith of our Imperial achievement!
It was harder to get into the Sudan Political Service than it was to get into the Indian Civil Service, the fabled ICS.

(*Legally the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.)

D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter B

The Russians saved Syria from ISIS

Steve Murray
Steve Murray
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

In the same way that the Russians saved East Germany from the N@zis.

David McKee
David McKee
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

It would be more correct to say the Russians saved Al-Assad from ISIS. There is a subtle difference!

D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

I could also have pointed out that ISIS attacks stopped in Europe too, once the Russians stepped in and did the right thing

And they get no thanks from the likes of you

Doug Pingel
Doug Pingel
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

I’m sure that Mr Putin’s entire reason for “Doing the right thing” was to stop ISIS attacks in Europe and not just an accidental (unintended) coincidence. I don’t suppose that ‘Europe’ getting it’s act together had anything to do with it.

Doug Pingel
Doug Pingel
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

I’m sure that Mr Putin’s entire reason for “Doing the right thing” was to stop ISIS attacks in Europe and not just an accidental (unintended) coincidence. I don’t suppose that ‘Europe’ getting it’s act together had anything to do with it.

Charles Stanhope
Charles Stanhope
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

More like the USA, and its loathsome Saudi toadies (allies.)

Last edited 1 year ago by Charles Stanhope
D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

I could also have pointed out that ISIS attacks stopped in Europe too, once the Russians stepped in and did the right thing

And they get no thanks from the likes of you

Charles Stanhope
Charles Stanhope
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

More like the USA, and its loathsome Saudi toadies (allies.)

Last edited 1 year ago by Charles Stanhope
Steve Murray
Steve Murray
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

In the same way that the Russians saved East Germany from the N@zis.

David McKee
David McKee
1 year ago
Reply to  D Walsh

It would be more correct to say the Russians saved Al-Assad from ISIS. There is a subtle difference!

Charles Stanhope
Charles Stanhope
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter B

Ironically the Sudan* was the zenith of our Imperial achievement!
It was harder to get into the Sudan Political Service than it was to get into the Indian Civil Service, the fabled ICS.

(*Legally the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.)

D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  Peter B

The Russians saved Syria from ISIS

Peter B
Peter B
1 year ago

Point me to a single country anywhere in the world that has benefited from Russian “assistance” in the last 100 years.
This is surely not a coincidence.
And we like to beat ourselves up about what our ancestors did a hundred or more years ago in British colonies. At least we left something positive (schools, rule of law, etc.).

Jonny Stud
Jonny Stud
1 year ago

Well the title is rather misleading, surely ‘Sudanese faction enlists foreign PMC in return for gold as paymnet’ is more apt? I had mental images of Wagner mercs raiding Sudanese banks but it looks like they just get paid the gold, not sure that’s really ‘plundering’.

David McKee
David McKee
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonny Stud

Paid? $4bn?? Boy, am I in the wrong job… Seriously, it’s hard to credit Wagner has provided $4bn worth of services to anyone. Plunder would appear to be the right term.

D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

I thought the party line was the Russians are running out for men to fight in the Ukraine, but now it seems they are also up to no good in Africa too

D Walsh
D Walsh
1 year ago
Reply to  David McKee

I thought the party line was the Russians are running out for men to fight in the Ukraine, but now it seems they are also up to no good in Africa too

David McKee
David McKee
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonny Stud

Paid? $4bn?? Boy, am I in the wrong job… Seriously, it’s hard to credit Wagner has provided $4bn worth of services to anyone. Plunder would appear to be the right term.

Jonny Stud
Jonny Stud
1 year ago

Well the title is rather misleading, surely ‘Sudanese faction enlists foreign PMC in return for gold as paymnet’ is more apt? I had mental images of Wagner mercs raiding Sudanese banks but it looks like they just get paid the gold, not sure that’s really ‘plundering’.

Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago

Hmm. The author cites CNN, Le Monde, Bloomberg and something amusingly called OCCRP(!) to offer, what, exactly? Some other journalist’s stories about corruption in Africa? Why? And how is it that “we” have another conflict sparked by etc, etc? I wonder if Mr Plaut would care to delve into what the CCP is doing on the continent.

Alexandra Keep
Alexandra Keep
1 year ago

or the CIA….

Alexandra Keep
Alexandra Keep
1 year ago

or the CIA….

Allison Barrows
Allison Barrows
1 year ago

Hmm. The author cites CNN, Le Monde, Bloomberg and something amusingly called OCCRP(!) to offer, what, exactly? Some other journalist’s stories about corruption in Africa? Why? And how is it that “we” have another conflict sparked by etc, etc? I wonder if Mr Plaut would care to delve into what the CCP is doing on the continent.

Richard Rolfe
Richard Rolfe
1 year ago

$13.4bn, $4bn, “either way, the sums of money are enormous”. Indeed, but Sudan’s gold production was 18 tons in 2022, or 635,000 oz, so about $1.3bn. Even $4bn would therefore be three years production.

Richard Rolfe
Richard Rolfe
1 year ago

$13.4bn, $4bn, “either way, the sums of money are enormous”. Indeed, but Sudan’s gold production was 18 tons in 2022, or 635,000 oz, so about $1.3bn. Even $4bn would therefore be three years production.

Emmanuel MARTIN
Emmanuel MARTIN
1 year ago

Wagner do their business, and do not care about the opinion of Western intellectual class. This article looks like an angry dog barking at the sky.
The World is becoming multipolar. Wagner actions in Sudan are discussed in Sudan or in Russia; but any discussion about it elsewhere is something between a “comment” and “foreign iterference in the affairs of a sovereign nation”.

Last edited 1 year ago by Emmanuel MARTIN
Emmanuel MARTIN
Emmanuel MARTIN
1 year ago

Wagner do their business, and do not care about the opinion of Western intellectual class. This article looks like an angry dog barking at the sky.
The World is becoming multipolar. Wagner actions in Sudan are discussed in Sudan or in Russia; but any discussion about it elsewhere is something between a “comment” and “foreign iterference in the affairs of a sovereign nation”.

Last edited 1 year ago by Emmanuel MARTIN
martin logan
martin logan
1 year ago

This is standard Putin.
When he fails in his main objective, Ukraine, he tries to open another front somewhere else, to draw attention away from the conflict.
He did the same in Syria and Libya. Instead of trying to bring all parties together for a peaceful resolution, he backs one side that may (Assad), or may not (Hiftar) impose their rule over a shattered country.
Putin’s latest attempt at promoting war is an air flight of weapons to the RSF. That enables them to create another civil war, like the ones he’s already bankrolling in Syria and Libya.
I suspect it’s really just the old Marxist/Soviet trope of “destroying World Capital via revolutions in the Third World! Viva Fidel!” That may be one of the few slogans that still resonates in Putin’s declining brain.
It won’t get him Ukraine.
But in a weak, declining empire, that’s all a weak, declining Putin can manage.

Last edited 1 year ago by martin logan
Abraham Mathebe
Abraham Mathebe
1 year ago
Reply to  martin logan

Fighting for the wealth of Africa by countries of power is bringing Africa down to her knees. This is what brother Gaddafi was fighting against before he was assassinated.

All these power countries want to put a hand in a cookie jar, foolish African leaders remain fools, Africa needs leaders and good friends who want to see Africa developed!

Abraham Mathebe
Abraham Mathebe
1 year ago
Reply to  martin logan

Fighting for the wealth of Africa by countries of power is bringing Africa down to her knees. This is what brother Gaddafi was fighting against before he was assassinated.

All these power countries want to put a hand in a cookie jar, foolish African leaders remain fools, Africa needs leaders and good friends who want to see Africa developed!

martin logan
martin logan
1 year ago

This is standard Putin.
When he fails in his main objective, Ukraine, he tries to open another front somewhere else, to draw attention away from the conflict.
He did the same in Syria and Libya. Instead of trying to bring all parties together for a peaceful resolution, he backs one side that may (Assad), or may not (Hiftar) impose their rule over a shattered country.
Putin’s latest attempt at promoting war is an air flight of weapons to the RSF. That enables them to create another civil war, like the ones he’s already bankrolling in Syria and Libya.
I suspect it’s really just the old Marxist/Soviet trope of “destroying World Capital via revolutions in the Third World! Viva Fidel!” That may be one of the few slogans that still resonates in Putin’s declining brain.
It won’t get him Ukraine.
But in a weak, declining empire, that’s all a weak, declining Putin can manage.

Last edited 1 year ago by martin logan