SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - China launches Sudan's first satellite highlighting strong links between Beijing and Sudan's new government
6/11/19: Multiple sources - China launches Sudan's first satellite highlighting strong links between Beijing and Sudan's new government
Sudanese sovereign council chief Abdelfattah al-Burhan has announced that China has launched Sudan's first-ever satellite for conducting research in military, economic and space technology.
According a statement by the sovereign council, the small probe will mainly be used for economic purposes but that it will also provide intelligence to the military and security services. Sovereign council spokesman Mohamed al-Faki told AFP that the satellite will be monitored from Sudan “in a few months.”
The launch is a crucial moment for Sudan which has been trying to develop space technologies to get an edge over its rivals for decades. It is unclear if Sudan or China will foot the bill.
The Daily Telegraph note that Sudan is is increasingly turning to authoritarian players such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to keep itself afloat, as the West is unwilling to end Sudan’s pariah status.