Russia and Sudan are reportedly on the verge of finalizing a 25-year agreement for mutual military cooperation, granting Russia access to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, according to Qatari media outlet Al-Sharq.
Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023, with clashes between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s military government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Hemedti.
The conflict has seen involvement from both Russia and Ukraine, with the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group previously supporting the RSF, while Ukrainian commandos reportedly arrived in Sudan in August 2023 to assist the government.
In a significant development, Malik Agar, the deputy head of Sudan’s military-backed government, visited Russia on June 3, reportedly to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bloomberg reports that Agar’s visit aims to discuss acquiring Russian arms and military support in exchange for granting Russia access to the Red Sea port.
Sources shared additional details with Al-Sharq, revealing that the agreement would allow Russia to establish a small naval base at Port Sudan, accommodating up to 300 personnel and four ships.
In return, Russia would supply the Sudanese government with unspecified military equipment.
Analysts, however, suggest that Russia is unlikely to fully support either side in Sudan’s conflict, reducing the likelihood of its intervention decisively shifting the balance of power.
Samuel Ramani, an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the New Arab media outlet, “Russians recognize that in the end, neither side will be able to completely destroy the other, and they would want to maintain close ties with whoever is in power when this is all over.”
