Sudan, Russian agree on naval base

MOSCOW. – Khartoum and Moscow have agreed on the establishment of a Russian naval base in Sudan, Foreign Minister Ali Youssef Ahmed Al-Sharif has said.

In a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on yesterday, Al-Sharif confirmed that discussions have successfully concluded, stating, “therefore, the matter is quite simple. I have nothing to add. We have agreed on everything.”

The agreement, which first surfaced in December 2020, outlines the creation of a logistical support facility for the Russian Navy.

It will serve as a hub for ship repairs and resupply. The facility’s personnel will be limited to 300, with a maximum of four Russian vessels permitted to be stationed there at the same time.

Following the talks, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s “position on the need for a swift cessation of hostilities and the launch of an inclusive national dialogue” on Sudan’s conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stressing the need for a resolution without external interference.

During the press conference, the Russian foreign minister stressed that despite Western sanctions, Moscow continues to expand its engagement with African nations, adding that Russia has been able to maintain and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships across the continent.

“Of course, we seek and, in most cases, find ways to continue our mutually beneficial cooperation with African and other countries, regardless of the criminal, unilateral, illegitimate actions of the collective West,” he said.

Lavrov also argued that the Western sanctions expose the unreliability of those who impose them saying they undermine the key principles of globalisation: “fair competition, the presumption of innocence, the inviolability of property, the free play of market forces – all of this has been instantly overturned.”

Sudan plans to sign agreements with Russian companies for industrial, commercial, and oil-related projects, focusing on over 20 oil wells in conflict-free zones such as the Red Sea region and western Sudan, according to the Sudanese oil and gas minister, Mohi-Eddin Naeem Mohamed Saeed. The African state has offered 22 oil fields to Russian firms including Rosneft and Gazprom. – RT.com