Russia inks deal to open naval base in Sudan

Vladimir Putin signed the deal to set up a Russian naval base in Sudan late on Monday

Credit: Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik/Kremlin pool

Vladimir Putin has approved the creation of Russia’s first naval base in the Indian Ocean, expanding his country’s global military footprint and cementing its defence ties with African nations.

The facility in Sudan, which will be able to accommodate up to four military vessels and 300 personnel, will be Russia’s second foreign naval base after Syria’s Tartous in the Mediterranean Sea.

The agreement, which was signed by Mr Putin late on Monday, follows months of negotiation with Sudanese officials.

The Russian government in a statement last week insisted that the facility is “set up for defence purposes, seeks to maintain peace and stability in the region and does not pose any threat to other countries.”

The announcement was met with jubilation of the Russian military eager to reclaim the Soviet Union’s global clout.

“It’s time to restore our naval presence,” Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, former Black Sea Fleet commander, told the Interfax news agency, hailing the deal as an opportunity to “expand the capabilities of our navy.”

Russia made a major diplomatic push into Africa in recent years, reaching out to local leaders and offering to write off sovereign debts dating back to the Soviet Union’s assistance programme during the Cold War.

Russia’s base at Port Sudan, situated close to major transportation links and oil infrastructure, would give Russia strong leverage in talks with major powers including Saudi Arabia, according to Maxim Suchkov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute.

“The base is not meant for a major military confrontation but it would make Russia a force to be reckoned with in the region,” Mr Suchkov told the Telegraph.

Major international powers have been scrambling to gain influence in the northeast African nation since a popular revolution overthrew Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir in April last year.

As a fragile alliance of civilian officials and powerful factions of the military rules the country, with elections possible in late 2022, diplomats say that now is the critical moment to gain a foothold in Sudan which occupies a strategic location along the Red Sea, which links Asia to Europe.

Britain is one of the countries quietly trying to garner influence in Khartoum. In June, the UK announced it would spend £150 million to help “reform the country’s economy, stabilise inflation and relieve poverty.” 

Russia’s announcement is likely to raise alarm bells in Washington. Last month, the United States removed Sudan from its list of States which Sponsor Terrorism for Mr al-Bashir’s persecution of Christians, support of Al Qaeda and even hosting Osama Bin Laden at some point.

The removal of Sudan from the list would finally set the country free from sanctions which have hamstrung its economy for decades. 

The establishment of Russia’s base news will also hit Turkey hard.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, had close ties to Mr Bashir’s regime, which permitted Turkey to build a modern naval dock on the ancient Ottoman-era port of Suakin in 2017.

But since Mr Bashir was ousted, Turkey’s plans to reassert itself on the Red Sea have slowed.