Sudan has reached an agreement with Russia to establish a naval base, Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif announced in Moscow. The deal follows years of discussions and comes as Russia strengthens ties in the region.

Sudan has agreed to the creation of a Russian naval base, Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif confirmed in a televised press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.

"We are in complete agreement on this issue, and there are no obstacles," Sharif said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He did not provide further details on the deal.

Plans for a base were first signed under former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, but after his ousting in 2019, Sudanese military leaders said the project was under review. The base never materialised.

Russia has maintained ties with both sides in Sudan’s civil war, which has been ongoing for nearly two years. Russian officials have visited Port Sudan—the army’s wartime capital—several times in recent months.

In 2023, a senior Sudanese general said Russia had requested a Red Sea fuelling station in exchange for weapons and ammunition. Such a station would provide strategic advantages for Russia, particularly after uncertainty over its bases in Syria.

Sudan’s Red Sea coastline and gold resources have drawn competing regional and global interests throughout the war.

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