The Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs confirmed that an agreement had been reached on the Russian military base in Sudan. This move allows Moscow to have a presence on one of the key maritime routes and strengthen its influence in Africa. Analysts warn this could spark further tensions with the West as Russia continues to expand its military capabilities beyond its borders.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif said in Moscow that an agreement was reached on the establishment of a Russian naval base in Sudan, on the coast of the Red Sea.
"We are in complete agreement on this issue and there are no obstacles, Sharif said after talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, but did not give further details," reports Reuters.
Sudanese army generals who overthrew former president Omar al-Bashir in 2019 repeatedly said that this plan was under consideration, but the agreement on the Russian base was not implemented.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has nurtured ties with both sides in Sudan's nearly two-year-old civil war, with Russian officials visiting the Sudanese military's wartime capital of Port Sudan in recent months.
Last year, a Sudanese general said Russia had asked Sudan to build a refueling base on the Red Sea in exchange for weapons and ammunition.
Such a base would be useful for Russia, especially after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria called into question the survival of Russian bases on Syria's Mediterranean coast.
Let us recall that in November 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Ministry of Defense to sign an agreement on the establishment of a logistics center for the Navy in the Red Sea. Moscow even released a draft agreement, but its signing was repeatedly delayed due to conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The agreement envisages the construction of a logistics center near the city of Port Sudan. This center will be able to accommodate up to four Russian ships at the same time, including nuclear-powered ones.
The maximum number of Russian military and civilian personnel in the logistics center will not exceed 300 people, but it could be increased with the consent of the Sudanese side. According to the agreement, the Sudanese side will be in charge of the external security of the base, while Russia will take over the protection of the maritime border, air defense and internal security.
The agreement also allows Russia to import and export weapons, ammunition and equipment to the base, as well as to establish temporary military positions in Sudan to protect the base.
The strategic importance of the base and international tensions
An expert on strategic issues, Roland Biyamov, points out that Russia needs such a logistics station as a gateway to Africa, especially after it lost the Berber naval base in Somalia during the Soviet era.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Biyamov stressed that the base will help Russian ships fight pirates in the region and advance Russia's economic and military projects in Africa. He believes that the agreement will be signed soon and that Russia will do everything to build this strategic base, which is confirmed by the "disturbed" statements of Western officials who see Russian-Sudanese cooperation as a threat to their own interests.
An additional factor of concern for the West is the possibility that Iran may also strengthen its presence in the region. Tehran already supplies Sudan with drones, and possible Russian-Iranian cooperation could further change the balance of power in the region.
Biyamov claims that Russia does not support any side in the Sudanese conflict, as its foreign policy dictates neutrality. Moscow communicates with all parties in Sudan and could potentially play a mediating role. He also emphasizes that Russian companies, including the Wagner Group, had relations with RSF commander Mohammad Hamdan Dagal, known as Hemedti, but that cooperation ended several years ago.
Cautious optimism and uncertainty about the fate of the base
An expert on military affairs, Anton Mardasov, expressed a more cautious attitude regarding the implementation of the agreement. He warns that signing it does not guarantee long-term preservation of the base, as a future Sudanese government could abandon the deal under pressure from the West or in exchange for financial benefits.
However, Mardasov points out that strengthening military cooperation with Sudan is one of the key goals of the Kremlin, considering that Sudan is the second largest African customer of Russian weapons, right after Algeria.
The war in Syria has shown the importance of naval and air bases outside the territory of Russia, as they enable the supply of fuel, ammunition and the rotation of personnel. Russia wants to be present on key trade routes between India, East Asia and Europe, but also to formalize its military presence in Sudan, which was previously mainly maintained by private military companies.
The assessment is that the fate of the Russian base in Sudan depends on many factors - from the political situation in the country, through international pressures, to Russian geopolitical ambitions. And while Russia sees this base as a strategic point for expanding its influence in Africa, the West is watching the developments with concern, fearing Russian and Iranian penetration into the Red Sea region.
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