In a significant development, the Sudanese military has decided to resume work on a naval base in Sudan which will be used by the Russian navy. On the completion of this naval base, Russia will be in a position to threaten the freedom of navigation in the Suez Canal – a strategically important highway in the global economy.
The agreement to establish a naval base in Sudan was signed by Moscow and Khartoum in December 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, the Russian navy can deploy a maximum of four ships, including nuclear powered ones; the agreement also limits Russian troops to a total of 300, at any given time.
After the completion, Sudan has pledged to transfer the entire naval base to the Russian Federation free of charge.
The agreement, valid for 25 years, comes with the possibility of automatic renewal for 10 years, if 12 months before the official termination of the agreement neither party has stated its intention to withdraw unilaterally from the agreement.
Earlier this year, the “civilian” government in Sudan announced the suspension of the deal, however on October 25, 2021, following the Sudanese military staging a coup, the agreement was back in place.
In 2020, in a statement Germany’s Foreign Ministry said, Russia plans to establish several military bases on the African continent in a development that is potentially troubling to Western forces.
Vladimir Putin is significantly expanding Russian military presence in Africa with Moscow’s involvement becoming more common in an increasing number of countries on the continent. According to a report from Bild, the presence of Russian troops is beneficial for African rulers especially to those who want to suppress their population with the help of such troops.
Two years ago, Madagascar entered into a deal with Russia which facilitates the presence of Russian warships into its ports.
According to media reports, a base for the Russian Federation is being built. Speculation is also rife of an existing base for Russia in the country.
“There are no official statements that Moscow needs bases in African countries. This is a controversial issue, of course. The military always needs bases. Whether the state needs them is not so obvious. So far, in my opinion, this is all” design work “Private traders with a state ”wink“,said Vladimir Frolov, an expert on international politics.
