Sudan has some notes about an agreement to construct a Russian naval base on its Red Sea coast, the country’s top general said on Monday.
These notes should be addressed before advancing in the implementation process, Army chief Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stressed in an interview with the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency.
“The creation of this base is part of an existing agreement. We keep regularly discussing the matter, and there are some faults that have to be remedied. We are committed to international agreements and will continue to implement them to the end,” he noted.
The Sudanese leader further underscored the “long-standing and continuous” military cooperation with Russia, praising Moscow’s position on developments in Sudan and its support for governments and peoples to decide their own fate.
In November 2020, Sudan and Russia agreed to establish a naval base on the Red Sea coast near Port Sudan to maintain peace and stability in the region. The base is “defensive and not aimed against other countries,” the defense ministry affirmed.
The facility could moor no more than four ships, including nuclear-powered ones, at the same time, it noted, adding that the hub would be used for repair and resupply operations and as a place where Russian naval personnel could take rest.
In other news, the Beja Tribal Council, a tribal group in eastern Sudan, announced on Monday it would temporarily lift a six-week blockade on the country’s main seaport, a week after the military took power in a coup.
Opponents of last week’s military takeover had accused the army of engineering the blockade of Port Sudan to put pressure on civilian leaders and ultimately justify plans to end civilian rule.
The army has denied being behind the blockade and declined to get involved, saying it was based on legitimate demands.
Barricades at the port and on the main road to Khartoum were being lifted from Monday morning for a month, said Abdallah Abushar, secretary for the High Beja Council.
Members of the group had shut the Red Sea port in September, calling for a range of demands including the replacement of the civilian-led government.
The Port Sudan blockade, which shut down Red Sea terminals and the main road linking to the capital, had resulted in wheat and fuel shortages and the re-routing of shipments through Egypt.
The group had demanded the civilian government be replaced with technocrats, and that parts of an October 2020 peace agreement with rebel groups across Sudan be renegotiated.
Last week, Sudan’s military took power in a coup, detaining civilian officials and politicians, and promising to establish a new government of technocrats. The coup has been met with opposition and street demonstrations over the last week.
