Ali Youssef Sharif and Sergei Lavrov Photo: “Kommersant
Russia and Sudan have reached a final agreement on the establishment of a Russian naval base on the Red Sea coast. This was stated by Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef Sharif during a press conference in Moscow after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Reuters reports.
“We have reached full agreement on this issue, and there are no obstacles left,” the Sudanese diplomat said, without disclosing details about the timing of the project.
The issue of establishing the base has been discussed for years. The previous agreement was signed under the presidency of Omar al-Bashir, but after his ouster in 2019, the new government set out to revise the military arrangements. A military coup and civil war slowed down the process, but now Moscow and Khartoum seem to have returned to the plan.
According to sources, the Russian side has long been in contact with both warring camps in the Sudanese conflict, trying to consolidate its influence in the strategic region. Recently, Russian officials have been visiting Port Sudan, the temporary capital of the Sudanese army, with increasing frequency.
Last year, a Sudanese army general said that Moscow had offered military assistance in exchange for permission to set up a refuelling station for its ships. For the Kremlin, this is an important step, especially against the backdrop of the loss of some of its geopolitical positions in the Mediterranean after the changes in Syria.
Russia’s military presence in the Red Sea could be a strategic response to the expansion of Western influence in Africa, as well as provide Moscow with control over key trade routes. In addition, Sudan attracts global players with its rich gold deposits and favourable geographical location.
The official Khartoum has not yet disclosed the details of the new agreement, but in the context of the ongoing civil war and economic crisis, the Sudanese authorities may use cooperation with Russia as a tool to obtain military and financial support.
