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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
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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.

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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.