Sudan commits to building Russian Navy base in Red Sea
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Two Sudanese officials stated on Saturday that Sudan's ruling military had completed a review of an agreement with Russia regarding the construction of a naval base on the Red Sea in the African nation.
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In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Sudan's Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan pose for a photo during their meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, on February 9, 2023. (AP)
Sudan reaffirms its dedication to constructing a Russian Navy base in the Red Sea, confirming that the project will proceed as planned, stated Sudanese Ambassador to Moscow, Mohamed Siraj, in an interview with Sputnik on Saturday.
"This is a logistics support point in the Red Sea, about which an agreement was signed between the two countries. We are considering this matter within the framework of our bilateral relations, which, as I see it, are developing, and we hope for further strengthening of bilateral ties," the ambassador said.
Both Moscow and Khartoum are responsible for seeing the project through, as Siraj noted that both countries signed the agreement.
"Sudan is committed to fulfilling this obligation, and the only problem is completing some procedural issues. We are not giving up our commitment to build the base," he added.
Earlier on Friday, Member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sundanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta said Russia promised to militarily support Sudan in exchange for a permanent Naval Base on the Red Sea.
Al-Atta spoke to Al Hadath TV and revealed that Russia proposed military cooperation with Sudan via a logistical support center rather than a military base in exchange for urgent weapons and munitions supplies to the SAF.
However, Sudanese authorities proposed wider-range cooperation that encompasses sectors of the economy, agriculture, maritime, mining, and port development. In turn, Russia agreed to the Sudanese counter-proposal, according to the Sudanese official.
