Sudan army ‘greenlights’ Russia’s Red Sea navy base in exchange for arms

Sudan’s army has reportedly agreed to allow Russia to established a navy base near Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast in exchange for arms it needs to fight the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as both rival groups are vying for power in the north-eastern African country.

The potential deal with Russia that may see Moscow build a naval logistic base on the Red Sea comes at a time when the Sudanese army appears determined to dig deep in civil war with the RSF. Sudan is indeed interested in reviving an agreement on building a Russian navy hub in the country, Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of the army-dominated Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, said earlier this week on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg (SPIEF). Both countries have been discussing the issue for years, with Sudan’s then-president Omar al-Bashir and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly having reached a deal in 2017 on the construction of a Russian base with room for several hundred soldiers and four ships.

However, due to the political instability after al-Bashir’s ousting and later the breakout of a civil war, Sudan’s parliament was unable to ratify the contract. But discussions were recently resumed — apparently with more success. If concluded, the deal could give the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) a significant edge over the RSF who now appears to have gained upper hand in the conflict, most notably capturing large areas of territory in the western Darfur region and south of the Sudanese capital.

“The army is in desperate need of weapons, ammunitions and spare parts for its Russian-made warplanes,” said prominent Sudanese analyst Osman Al Mirghany. “Offering Russia a naval base in return for them is its best option.” Already alarmed by Khartoum’s close ties with Iran, the West, which is very much concerned about Russia’s growing inroads in West Africa and the Sahel regions, will be watching closely what impact its possible deal with Sudan will have on the negotiations to end the conflict.