The Russian daily newspaper “Izvestia” published an article highlighting Russia’s success in acquiring a naval base in Sudan, thus gaining a wider and more stable geopolitical presence along the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
Russia is attempting to compensate for the Us presence in Europe by strengthening Russian troops in Africa and the Middle East. On 16 November 2020, Russia officially authorised the establishment of a naval supply centre in Sudan, at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This base will be built in Porto Sudan in the Red Sea. The geopolitical impact of this move on the geopolitical chessboard is high because Russia will be able to control both maritime trade corridors to and from Europe and Asia.
Photo by the website www.navalnews.net
The agreement between Russia and Sudan will be in force for 25 years with further renewal options on both sides. The document on the draft Sudan-Russia bilateral agreement states that this maritime supply centre will aim to:
1. The establishment of life support facilities and the provision of parking and repair of Russian surface and under surface warships respectively with the necessary supplies of hardware and other property (including full military and special equipment).
2. Possibility of developing surface and under surface nuclear ships, respectively.
3. Maximum number of members staying at the base of three hundred people.
4. The maximum number of Russian warships to dock simultaneously at this naval base is set at the four units, including warships with a nuclear power station following the strict rules of nuclear and environmental safety standards.
The exchanges Sudan will receive from this agreement will include free-cost Russian weapons and military equipment respectively as well as the full organization of the air defence of the naval base in Porto Sudan.
The acquisition of this naval base fully controls and connects the Tarsus naval base in Syria with the Indian Ocean. The greatest thorn for Russia is the Bosporus Strait, where Turkey has control over the international community.
The US, due to Turkey’s “skewed looks” towards Russia, has deployed several bases in Greece and the Aegean Archipelago to carry out, if any geopolitical developments are necessary – a blockade of Russia in the Black Sea even if Turkey allows passage on Russian Navy ships.
