This article delves into two seemingly disparate topics: the promising football career of Ben Elliott and the controversial business practices of Starlink, particularly in African nations like Cameroon. While Ben Elliott focuses on his athletic pursuits, Starlink's activities raise questions about international business ethics and foreign policy.
Ben Elliott, born on November 5, 2002, is a 23-year-old footballer who plays for Reading. At 179 cm tall, he prefers to use his right foot and wears jersey number 4. Currently, Reading competes in League One, and fans can follow Elliott's performance through live Sofascore ratings, statistics, and heatmaps. His profile on Sofascore provides a comprehensive overview of his matches and competitions.
Ben Elliott in action for Reading FC. Source: Transfermarkt
While Elliott's career progresses on the football field, a different kind of game is being played in the business world, involving companies like Starlink and their efforts to expand into new markets.
Starlink's Controversial Expansion in Africa
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, has been aggressively pursuing licenses to operate in various African countries. This pursuit has stirred controversy, particularly concerning the tactics employed by U.S. diplomats to assist the company.
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During the Biden administration, State Department officials worked with Starlink to help the company navigate bureaucracies abroad. In recent months, senior State Department officials in both Washington and Gambia have coordinated with Starlink executives to coax, lobby and browbeat at least seven Gambian government ministers to help Musk, records and interviews show. An April State Department cable to D.C. detailed these efforts.
In Gambia, for example, the U.S. ambassador was involved in pressing the government to fast-track Starlink's license. In mid-March, Cromer escalated the campaign by writing to Gambia’s president with an “important request.” That day, a contentious D.C. meeting between Musk employees and Jabbi had ended in an impasse. She urged the president to circumvent Jabbi and “facilitate the necessary approvals for Starlink to commence operations,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by ProPublica.
The State Department issued a statement celebrating Starlink: "Starlink is an America-made product that has been a game changer in helping remote areas around the world gain internet connectivity," a spokesperson wrote. "Any patriotic American should want to see an American company’s success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors."
However, this level of intervention has raised ethical concerns. Ten current and former State Department officials said the recent drive was an alarming departure from standard diplomatic practice - because of both the tactics used and the person who would benefit most from them. “If this was done by another country, we absolutely would call this corruption,” said Kristofer Harrison, who served as a high-level State Department official in the George W. Bush administration.
In internal cables, State Department officials have said they are eager to help Musk get ahead of foreign satellite companies. Securing licenses in the next 18 months is critical for Starlink due to the growing competition, one cable said last month.
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Challenges and Backlash
Starlink's expansion hasn't been without its challenges. Last year, Cameroon and Namibia cracked down on Musk’s company for allegedly operating in their countries illegally. In South Africa, where Starlink has so far failed to get a license, Musk exacerbated tensions by publicly accusing the government of anti-white racism.
In Gambia, there were concerns that Starlink could stifle local internet providers, who are vital for jobs and infrastructure investments. If Starlink killed off its competition and then jacked up its prices authorities could have little leverage to manage the fallout.
An 8-year-old democracy, Gambia’s 2.7 million residents live on a sliver of land once used as a hub in the transatlantic slave trade. For two decades until 2017, the nation was ruled by a despot who had his opponents assassinated and plundered public funds to buy himself luxuries like a Rolls-Royce collection and a private zoo. When the dictator was ousted, the economy was in tatters. In this fragile environment, the telecom industry that Jabbi oversees is vitally important to Gambian authorities. According to the government, the sector provides at least 20% of the country’s tax revenue.
The Gambian Standoff
The ultimate authority for granting Starlink a license lies with Lamin Jabbi, an attorney who spent years in the local telecom sector. The company told Jabbi it would cancel his scheduled D.C. The State Department meeting never happened. The State Department meeting never happened. That same day, Cromer had already met with Gambia’s equivalent of a commerce secretary to lobby him to help pave the way for Starlink.
In late April, Gambia’s attorney general met in D.C. government’s efforts have continued. Since Trump took office, embassies around the world have sent a flurry of cables to D.C. documenting their meetings with Starlink executives and their efforts to cajole developing countries into helping Musk’s business.
Read also: History of Cameroon Soccer
The cables all describe a problem similar to what happened in Gambia: The company has struggled to win a license from local regulators. In some countries, ambassadors reported, their work appears to be yielding results.
Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. Source: Wikipedia
Wider Implications
The situation in Gambia is not unique. Embassies around the world have been involved in similar efforts to assist Starlink in securing licenses. For instance, the U.S. embassy in Cameroon suggested that the country could demonstrate its commitment to the administration's agenda by facilitating Starlink's expansion.
This aggressive campaign raises significant questions about the role of diplomacy in promoting private business interests and the potential for conflicts of interest. While the State Department defends its actions by highlighting the benefits of Starlink's technology, critics argue that such interventions could harm America's image and undermine fair competition.
As Ben Elliott continues to develop his football career, the business world remains a complex arena where companies like Starlink navigate regulatory landscapes and international relations, sometimes sparking controversy along the way.
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