عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Establishment of Russian Base on Sudan's Red Sea Under Study

Sudanese army Chief of Staff Mohamed Othman al-Hussein - AAWSAT AR
Sudanese army Chief of Staff Mohamed Othman al-Hussein - AAWSAT AR
TT
TT

Establishment of Russian Base on Sudan's Red Sea Under Study

Sudanese army Chief of Staff Mohamed Othman al-Hussein - AAWSAT AR
Sudanese army Chief of Staff Mohamed Othman al-Hussein - AAWSAT AR

Sudanese deputy Chief of Staff Mohamed Othman al-Hussein has affirmed that his country has not yet concluded any deal with Russia to establish a naval base on its Red Sea coast, however, he pointed out that the deal is under study.

Hussein’s remarks were the first by a senior Sudanese official following Russia’s statements on establishing a naval base in the region.

“The military bilateral cooperation is ongoing,” he stressed, adding that Russia and some eastern countries were providing Sudan with weapons during the embargo imposed by the US and the West.

He told Al-Arabiya TV channel that Sudan will not compromise its sovereignty, and the agreement with Russia is being studied.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his defense ministry on Monday to establish a logistical support center for Russia's navy in Sudan.

According to Russian reports, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said the facility “meets the goals of maintaining peace and stability in the region and is defensive and not aimed against other countries.”

Putin’s order, which was posted on Russia's Official Internet Portal of Legal Information, is dated Nov. 16, 2020. Mishustin had approved a draft agreement regarding the base on Nov. 6.

The base facilities will reportedly be constructed near the Sudanese Navy's main base at Flamingo Bay, which is situated just north of Port Sudan, the country’s main port city on the Red Sea.

The draft agreement between Russia and Sudan on the naval logistics facility was submitted by Russia’s Defense Ministry, approved by the Foreign Ministry, the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Ousted President Omar al-Bachir had asked Putin to provide him with protection in the face of US threats and to establish a military base on the Sudanese Red Sea coast during a visit to Russia.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Cyprus Can Help Rid Syria of Chemical Weapons, Search for its Missing, Says Top Diplomat

FILE PHOTO: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighborhood of Damascus August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah
FILE PHOTO: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighborhood of Damascus August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah
TT
TT

Cyprus Can Help Rid Syria of Chemical Weapons, Search for its Missing, Says Top Diplomat

FILE PHOTO: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighborhood of Damascus August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah
FILE PHOTO: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighborhood of Damascus August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah

Cyprus stands ready to help eliminate Syria’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and to support a search for people whose fate remains unknown after more than a decade of war, the top Cypriot diplomat said Saturday.

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said Cyprus’ offer is grounded on its own past experience both with helping rid Syria of chemical weapons 11 years ago and its own ongoing, decades-old search for hundreds of people who disappeared amid fighting between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots in the 1960s and a 1974 Turkish invasion, The AP reported.

Cyprus in 2013 hosted the support base of a mission jointly run by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to remove and dispose of Syria's chemical weapons.

“As a neighboring country located just 65 miles from Syria, Cyprus has a vested interest in Syria’s future. Developments there will directly impact Cyprus, particularly in terms of potential new migratory flows and the risks of terrorism and extremism,” Kombos told The AP in written replies to questions.

Kombos said there are “profound concerns” among his counterparts across the region over Syria’s future security, especially regarding a possible resurgence of extremist groups like ISIS in a fragmented and polarized society.

“This is particularly critical in light of potential social and demographic engineering disguised as “security” arrangements, which could further destabilize the country,” Kombos said.

The diplomat also pointed to the recent proliferation of narcotics production like the stimulant Captagon that is interconnected with smuggling networks involved in people and arms trafficking.

Kombos said ongoing attacks against Syria’s Kurds must stop immediately, given the role that Kurdish forces have played in combating extremist forces like the ISIS group in the past decade.

Saleh Muslim, a member of the Kurdish Presidential Council, said in an interview that the Kurds primarily seek “equality” enshrined in rights accorded to all in any democracy.

He said a future form of governance could accord autonomy to the Kurds under some kind of federal structure.

“But the important thing is to have democratic rights for all the Syrians and including the Kurdish people,” he said.

Muslim warned that the Kurdish-majority city of Kobani, near Syria’s border with Türkiye, is in “very big danger” of falling into the hands of Turkish-backed forces, and accused Türkiye of trying to occupy it.

Kombos said the international community needs to ensure that the influence Türkiye is trying to exert in Syria is “not going to create an even worse situation than there already is.”

“Whatever the future landscape in Syria, it will have a direct and far-reaching impact on the region, the European Union and the broader international community,” Kombos said.