The civil war that started in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces further complicated relations between Russia and Sudan, as the Wagner group threw its weight behind the RSF while the Kremlin appeared to back the Sudanese army.
A plan for Russia to establish its first naval base in Africa will go ahead, Sudan’s foreign minister has confirmed, after years of delays over the Red Sea military port.
Last April, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, visited Sudan and pledged “uncapped” support for its army.
A deal was eventually signed in 2020 that reportedly permitted Russia to keep up to four navy ships, including nuclear-powered ones, in Sudan for a period of 25 years.
Russia has also backed Sudan at the UN security council, where it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire, a move the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, called a disgrace.
