Russia could soon cement a potentially destabilizing deal with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for a significant arms exchange aimed at strengthening a Russian logistics hub at Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
The development has raised concerns about escalating tensions and geopolitical realignments.
Yassir Al-Atta, Assistant Supreme Commander of the SAF, announced on May 25 that a delegation of Sudanese military officials would travel there Russia to finalize an agreement.
The deal includes the exchange of “vital weapons and ammunition” in exchange for support for Russia's logistics center in Port Sudan.
Al-Atta emphasized that the proposed Russian center is “not exactly a military base.”
In a related development, a Kremlin-awarded Russian military blogger reported on May 27 that Sudanese forces had reclaimed several areas in Khartoum, using Iranian-made drones.
This indicates growing military cooperation between Sudan and external powers, including Russia and Iran.
Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Representative for Africa and the Middle East, held meetings with Sudanese officials, including Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, during a visit to Sudan from April 28 to 29 .
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested as much Russia could shift its support in the Sudanese civil war to the support of the SAF, facilitating the establishment of its naval base on the Red Sea.
ISW analysts believe that Russian support for the SAF could significantly benefit Iran by aligning Russian and Iranian strategies in the region. This alignment is seen as part of a broader geopolitical strategy that could increase tensions in an already volatile region.
In a broader context, the key conclusions of the May 27 ISW highlight a number of critical developments, including NATO's call to lift the bans. Ukraine the use of Western-supplied weapons on Russian territory and Spain's signing of a ten-year bilateral security treaty with Russia Ukraine. In addition, Ukrainian forces continue to target Russian military infrastructure, and there are claims of Russian sabotage operations in Europe aimed at disrupting arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Further complicating the geopolitical landscape, Russian officials are considering removing the Taliban from the list of banned organizations, signaling possible future cooperation.