Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 August 2023.

The Foreign Secretary meets a key Nigerian player in electric vehicles, MAX Nigeria, backed by UK investors from the UK’s Manufacturing Africa programme.

In line with the UK Government’s commitment to supporting clean, green and sustainable economic growth in Africa, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited a Nigerian e-mobility platform and electric vehicle assembler, MAX Nigeria.

With support from the UK-funded Manufacturing Africa programme, MAX raised $31 million to ramp up the assembly of electric two- and three-wheelers. MAX is now gearing up for a third capital raise, to fund its expansion to become a regional e-mobility player. MAX Nigeria has empowered over 21,000 drivers operating in 8 cities within Nigeria and has contributed to cutting 52 metric tons of CO2 emissions from the environment.

Manufacturing Africa’s team of McKinsey consultants conducted a market assessment of the electric vehicle value chain for MAX, contributing to their electric vehicle (EV) scale-up strategy. UK-linked financiers including Novastar (backed by British International Investment) and Shell Foundation are some of the organisations financing MAX’s growth. MAX has also found a UK business partner in Field Ready, to support them on recruitment.

Work with MAX is part of the UK’s support for economic growth, job creation and value-addition in Africa that aligns with global climate priorities.

British funds continue to support game-changing entrepreneurs and companies in Africa. British International Investment manages a $4.7bn investment portfolio in Africa, including 86 companies and 43 funds in Nigeria alone. Other funding sources include:

Infracredit, which provides local currency guarantees to unlock long-term infrastructure financing in Nigeria
FSD Africa Investments, which invests in order to improve the financial instruments supporting Africa’s green economic growth
the Climate Finance Accelerator, a public-private finance initiative that supports low-carbon projects
Importantly, the UK also provides support for companies to access investment, whether from the UK or elsewhere. The Manufacturing Africa programme is supporting 22 manufacturers to land investments in Nigeria, with a pipeline of $664m+ foreign direct investment (FDI). The programme supports over 120 companies across 5 countries in Africa, which are mitigating 239,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, while creating 14,000 new jobs.

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery said:

I am delighted to visit MAX Nigeria with our Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. MAX are truly innovative and entrepreneurial, solving a thousand problems at once to bring affordable electric vehicles to West African riders.

It is fantastic that a combination of UK public and private sector support is helping MAX to create jobs, bring new skills into the market, and solve climate change challenges. We will continue to support companies doing this groundbreaking work on the continent.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MAX Nigeria, Adetayo Bamiduro said:

Our mission at MAX is to continue scaling the impact of our vehicle subscription platform across Africa and to deliver on our commitment to provide sustainable income to millions of mobility entrepreneurs by enabling them to access income-generating, energy-efficient, and electric vehicles that meet the essential needs of Africans.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 August 2023.

The UK has today formally acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh in 2014.

• Announcement comes ahead of events marking the nine year anniversary of atrocities committed by Daesh against the Yazidi people.
• UK decision follows ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice which found a former Daesh fighter guilty of acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.
• UK continues to play leading role in eradicating Daesh, including through rebuilding affected communities and tackling its poisoning propaganda.

The UK has today formally acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh in 2014.

The Minister of State for the Middle East Lord Ahmad made the announcement ahead of events marking the nine-year anniversary of atrocities committed by Daesh against the Yazidi people.

Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad, said:

The Yazidi population suffered immensely at the hands of Daesh nine years ago and the repercussions are still felt to this day. Justice and accountability are key for those whose lives have been devastated.

Today we have made the historic acknowledgement that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people. This determination only strengthens our commitment to ensuring that they receive the compensation owed to them and are able to access meaningful justice.

The UK will continue to play a leading role in eradicating Daesh, including through rebuilding communities affected by its terrorism and leading global efforts against its poisonous propaganda.

The UK’s position has always been that determinations of genocide should be made by competent courts, rather than by governments or non-judicial bodies. This determination has been made following the judgment of the German Federal Court of Justice earlier this year, where it found a former Daesh fighter guilty of acts of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Iraq.

The UK officially acknowledges five instances where genocide has occurred: the Holocaust, Rwanda, Srebrenica and acts of genocide in Cambodia and against the Yazidi people.

During his visit to Iraq earlier this year, including to the Kurdistan region, Lord Ahmad also welcomed progress with the passage of the Yazidi Survivors Law, which will provide reparations to survivors. He underlined the UK’s commitment to helping Iraq fully implement the law and ensure that survivors receive full support and access to justice.

A commemoration event – which is being held in Baghdad – has been organised by Yazidi civil society organisations and will welcome international stakeholders. The UK’s Ambassador to Iraq, Steve Hitchen, will attend and confirm the UK’s announcement.

Further information:

• On 30 November 2021, Frankfurt Higher Regional Court sentenced Taha Al-Jumailly, a former Daesh fighter, to life imprisonment for acts of genocide and crimes against humanity, for the enslavement and abuse of a Yazidi woman and her five-year-old daughter in 2015. On 17 January 2023, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) upheld the Frankfurt ruling and rejected the Defendant’s appeal.
• Though territorially defeated, the fact is that Daesh remains a serious threat in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. The UK continues to support the work of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and international efforts to bring perpetrators of Daesh violence to justice.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 August 2023.

The Crew of HMS TAMAR refurbished and rededicated a memorial to the 517 British WWII prisoners of war at Ballalae.

When visiting Solomon Islands, the Crew of HMS TAMAR refurbished and rededicated a memorial to the 517 British WWII prisoners of war at Ballalae, Shortland Islands, 80 years after they were executed by Japanese Imperial Forces.

In November 1942, 517 soldiers of the Royal Artillery, prisoners of war captured in the fall of Singapore earlier that year, were transported to the Island of Ballalae, in Shortland Islands, to construct an airfield the Japanese dubbed an ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’.

Over the ensuing months of unrelenting forced labour in the brutal tropical climate, many had died from exhaustion and tropical disease, and hundreds more as a result of allied bombings with their captors forbidding them to build trenches to shelter themselves.

In 1943, as the Allied forces liberated the South Pacific islands, the Japanese Commanders on Ballalae believed that they would be taken next and executed the remaining 57 prisoners.

When US forces took the Northern Solomon Islands they bypassed Ballalae and left it to ‘wither on the vine’ and it wasn’t until 1945 that the first Allied forces landed and discovered the remains of the last 57 in shallow trenches.

An atrocities commission was carried out on the island that led to the discovery of a mass grave from which 436 bodies were exhumed with artefacts identifying them as British artillerymen. They were subsequently re-interred in separate graves at the Bomana War Cemetery near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, their headstones marked with the solemn inscription, ‘Here lies a Soldier, known only to God’.

In 2003, relatives of 3 of the POWs undertook a pilgrimage to Ballalae and dedicated a memorial at the air strip in the form of a cairn with a wooden cross and a plaque donated by the Royal Artillery Association. As it is not a registered Commonwealth war grave it does not receive any regular maintenance and by 2007 the memorial had fallen into disrepair.

An ex-British serviceman, Mr Phil Jones, then working in the Solomon Islands as part of an Australian government mission, kindly re-built the memorial with an iron cross on top of a concrete plinth built over the top of the remains of the old cairn and this is what stands today.

In 2023, 80 years on from the atrocities of 1943, the British High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Thomas Coward took the opportunity during a visit to the Islands by Royal Navy Vessel, HMS TAMAR to maintain the monument.

After wading ashore across the coral beach of Ballalae, the High Commissioner and HMS TAMAR’s Captain, Commanding Officer Teilo Elliot-Smith were warmly welcomed to the island by the local people from Shortlands.

The crew then got to work removing the rust and grime of 16 years to return the memorial to its former glory before a service of re-dedication was held to remember the soldiers who had died on the island.

The re-dedication service was officiated by HMS TAMAR’s Chaplain, Reverend Mick Uffindell, and attended by the Ship’s crew and representatives of the local community.

During the ceremony, traditional remembrance Red poppy wreaths were laid by the British High Commissioner, His Excellency Thomas Coward, and HMS TAMAR’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Matt Millyard, alongside hand-made floral bouquets from the Solomon Islanders.

Reflecting on the day, the Chaplain said:

It was an incredible privilege to be able to pay tribute to these servicemen and their families today and in addition to restoring the memorial we placed 517 white stones, one for each individual who lost their life on Ballalae Island.

HMS TAMAR’s Commanding Officer, Commander Teilo Elliot-Smith said:

It has been an honour for the Ship to pay our respects to these British Servicemen. Ballalae is simultaneously the site of a horrific chapter of WWII, in the most inhospitable of places, and now a peaceful and idyllic island. Our sailors were eager to pay their respects and did so beautifully.

His Excellency Thomas Coward said:

It was an honour that we could gather to commemorate and pay our respects to the brave soldiers of the Royal Artillery who died on Ballalae. I want to thank the Government and People of Solomon Islands who supported us to conduct this important act of remembrance. I want to thank the government of Western Province, and the people of Shortland Islands for your warm help and for allowing this memorial to their sacrifice to stand as a reminder of the importance of peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 August 2023.

The Foreign Secretary will pledge support to Nigeria’s agriculture sector during a visit to the country.

Foreign Secretary pledges support to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more resilient to climate change on a visit to Nigeria
Funding will help more than four million people develop better farming practices and reduce harmful carbon emissions
James Cleverly’s trip to Nigeria comes on a three-country visit to Africa where he is prioritising future-focussed, mutually-beneficial partnerships
The Foreign Secretary will announce a new package of support to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more climate resilient, as he arrives in the country today, continuing his four-day African visit.

More than two thirds of Nigeria’s population depend on agriculture for employment. This new funding will help boost the Nigerian agricultural sector’s productivity and resilience to the impacts of climate change, transforming Nigerian critical agriculture and food systems for the benefit of people, climate and nature. UK support will help to develop heat and flood tolerant crops and increase soil fertility. New support will help grow the UK’s economy by alleviating some of the agricultural trade barriers to UK imports.

It comes on the second leg of the Foreign Secretary’s three-country visit to Africa, where he is prioritising future-focussed, mutually-beneficial relationships.

In Lagos today, he will announce a £10 million UK-backed facility in Nigeria, in partnership with finance company InfraCredit that will unlock funding for sustainable and climate-friendly infrastructure development projects – such as providing renewable energy services to homes in urban areas, as well as green housing.

Tomorrow, in Abuja he will announce a £55 million Propcom+ contract, a UK International Climate Finance programme which aims to support the transformation of Nigeria’s rural economy, and a £2.89 million grant, will support more than four million people across Nigeria to adopt and scale up sustainable agricultural practices. This includes improving the health of animals, making crops more resilient, and introducing cleaner cooking practices. This in turn will help increase productivity, capacity and resilience among small-scale farmers and rural communities across Nigeria while reducing carbon emissions and protecting natural ecosystems.

Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Nigeria has a booming population and the largest economy in Africa – there is huge potential for an even closer partnership between UK and Nigerian businesses which will be of mutual benefit to both countries.

Together we are focussing on the future, putting in place green, clean measures, both in agriculture and infrastructure development, to create climate-resilient solutions for the global challenges we all face today and will increasingly face in the years to come.

On his first visit to Nigeria, the Foreign Secretary will also visit a UN Humanitarian Air Service centre in Nigeria’s capital Abuja where he will hear how over £38 million of UK funding has helped vulnerable communities in the North-East of Nigeria.

Over four million people are facing food insecurity, and two million children under five are acutely malnourished in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. This funding is helping to protect people, build their resilience to the ongoing food shortage crisis, and prevent famine.

The Foreign Secretary will also meet Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Security Advisor Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to discuss the UK-Nigeria partnership and key common priorities, including how to increase bilateral trade and investment, economic development, regional issues, and strengthened security cooperation.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 July 2023.

Commits funding through UNDP’s Elections Basket Fund that will support Malawi Government’s preparedness for a free, fair and credible election in 2025.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 July 2023.

New sanctions target six figures involved in the trial of Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is facing 25 years in a penal colony after the rejection of his appeal.

• UK government sanctions six figures involved in the trial of Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is facing 25 years in a penal colony after the rejection of his appeal
• 3 judges, two prosecutors and an ‘expert witness’ have been sanctioned for their part in his politically motivated targeting
• Mr Kara-Murza, a dual British national, is being persecuted by the Russian regime for his anti-war stance

The UK government has today (31 July 2023) sanctioned six individuals for their involvement in the politically motivated conviction of Vladimir Kara-Murza.

It comes as the Foreign Secretary calls for the immediate release of Mr Kara-Murza, who is facing 25 years in prison after his appeal against trumped up charges was rejected in Moscow today.

Mr Kara-Murza is an opposition politician, journalist, and human rights activist in Russia. He has received wide recognition for his work, including the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize. The charges against the dual British-Russian national included treason and spreading ‘knowingly false information’ about the Russian armed forces. In reality, he bravely spoke the truth about Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Those sanctioned today include two Moscow City Court Judges who convicted and sentenced Mr Kara-Murza, the lead prosecutor in the trial, and an ‘expert witness’ who provided false justification for Mr Kara-Murza’s detention following ‘analysis’ of his speech.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The rejection of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s appeal following his sentencing on bogus charges highlights the depravity of the Russian regime, and their complete disregard for human rights and freedom of expression.

Today we’ve sanctioned six people connected with his case, sending a clear message that the UK will not stand for this treatment of one of its citizens.

We will continue to support Mr Kara-Murza and his family, who have worked tirelessly to try and secure his release. I call on Russia to release him immediately and unconditionally.

The following individuals have been sanctioned today and will be subject to travel bans and asset freezes:

• Vitaly Alexsandrovich Belitsky and Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dorokhina: both Moscow City Court Judges who convicted and sentenced Mr Kara-Murza on charges of treason, membership of an undesirable group and ‘fake news’
• Natalia Nikolaevna Dudar: a Basmanny District Court Judge who further extended Mr Kara-Murza’s pre-trial detention
• Boris Georgievich Loktionov: the lead prosecutor in the trial who described Mr Kara-Murza as “an enemy of the state” and pressed for the maximum sentence
• Danila Yurievich Mikheev: an expert witness for the Russian government who claimed Kara-Murza’s statements on the Russian Armed Forces amounted to knowingly spreading false information – which served as part of the basis on which judge Elena Lenskaya ordered Mr Kara-Murza be held
• Anna Evgenievna Potychko: Prosecutor who supported the denial of Kara-Murza’s appeal against his pre-trial detention

Today’s sanctions follow punitive measures the UK has already taken against those involved in Mr Kara-Murza’s case. In April 2023 the UK Government sanctioned five individuals – a judge, 2 investigators involved in Mr Kara-Murza’s trial and 2 FSB agents involved in his poisoning and arrest.

The UK will continue to ratchet up economic pressure on Russia until it ends its brutal invasion of Ukraine, including by implementing further sanctions and leaning in to tackle Russia’s attempts to circumvent the measures in place.

Background:

In January 2023, the Minister for Europe met Mr Kara-Murza’s wife to discuss his case and treatment. British Embassy officials have attended Mr Kara-Murza’s court hearings in Moscow throughout the year. FCDO officials have consistently raised Mr Kara-Murza’s case with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Embassy and will continue to do so.

In 2020 the UK sanctioned Sergei Podoprigorov, the judge that went on to preside over Mr Kara-Murza’s trial, and Dmitry Komnov, the head of the detention centre where Mr Kara-Murza was held, under our Global Human Rights Regime for involvement in human rights violations against Sergei Magnitsky. Additionally, last year the government sanctioned Oleg Mikhailovich Sviridenko, the Russian Deputy Minister of Justice, who oversees the prosecution of criminal cases including that of Mr Kara-Murza.

In April 2023, following Mr Kara-Murza’s sentencing, the UK sanctioned Elena Lenskaya – a judge who approved Vladimir Kara-Murza’s arrest, along with Denis Kolesnikov and Andrei Zadachin – investigators involved in the arrest of Mr Kara-Murza.

FSB agents Alexander Samofal and Konstantin Kudryavtsev were also sanctioned. The pair were members of the operational team which followed Mr Kara-Murza on multiple trips before he was poisoned both in 2015, three months after close friend and fellow opposition politician Boris Nemtsov was assassinated, and 2017.

With international partners, the UK has invoked the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism which evidenced Russia’s efforts to wage a campaign of repression against its own people. We are also taking forward the report’s recommendations, and have helped secure a United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur. They will be charged with undertaking country visits, acting on individual cases of reported violations and concerns of a broader nature, and raising public awareness and providing advice for technical cooperation.

View the full UK Sanctions List and more information about UK sanctions relating to Russia.

Asset freeze

An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person.

Travel ban

A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 July 2023.

Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 July 2023.

The Foreign Secretary is visiting three African countries on a four-day visit to strengthen “future-focussed, mutually beneficial” partnerships.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 July 2023.

UK statement in support of the Fifty First Extraordinary Summit on the Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger

The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in Niger. The Communique agreed at the Fifty First Extraordinary Summit on the Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger, held by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 30 July sets out a strong and clear response to this infringement of the democratic rights of the people of Niger. We continue to stand by ECOWAS and their efforts to ensure a return to democracy in Niger.

Minister for Development and Africa said:

“The UK wholly supports the immediate political and economic measures announced today by ECOWAS and will suspend long-term development assistance to Niger.

“We will however continue to provide critical humanitarian assistance to the people of Niger.

“The UK is a committed partner of Niger’s democratically elected government and calls for President Bazoum to be immediately reinstated to restore constitutional order.”

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 July 2023.

British High Commissioner-designate to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CMG OBE, has arrived in Islamabad to take up her new posting at British High Commission Islamabad.

Jane arrives at an important time for UK-Pakistan relations, with a significant uplift in UK aid spend in Pakistan focussed on strengthening climate resilience and reducing humanitarian risks. Last month the UK also launched the new Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which will help Pakistan to boost exports by reducing tariffs and simplifying trade terms.

Arriving in Islamabad, Jane said:

I am delighted to be here in Pakistan, a country that deeply matters to, and has a long-standing relationship with, the UK. With over 1.6 million people of Pakistani heritage in the UK making up every part of British society, we have a special and ever-growing bond.

Our friendship stems from our shared history and values, deep people-to-people ties, growing trade links and a renewed development partnership. I will be working hard to continue to expand these.

With the climate emergency a growing threat to health and livelihoods across the world, I have a particular interest in ensuring the bilateral relationship between our countries is a green, sustainable one.

Jane joined the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2001. She was previously posted as British High Commissioner to Kenya from September 2019 to June 2023, and has served as British Ambassador to Yemen. She has also been posted to the USA, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan as well as heading the UK’s Joint International Counter Terrorism Unit.

She travelled from London Heathrow using British Airways, the only airline to offer direct UK flights between the UK and Pakistan.