Al-Yurae- Bloomberg- Russia is awaiting Sudan’s legislative approval for a planned naval base on the Red Sea, its top envoy said, as he visited the North African country on a multi-nation trip to shore up alliances on the continent.
An agreement already signed needs ratification, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters Thursday in the capital, Khartoum.
In other comments, he said Russia favors “non-interference” in Sudan’s internal affairs and accused the West of “hounding” Russia, partly in reference to a simultaneous visit by US and European envoys to Sudan.
In his meeting with reporters, he said: “We support Sudan’s efforts to end the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.”
The Russian minister met with Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led the October 2021 military coup that ended the transitional period of civilian rule, which caused the suspension of Western aid to the country.
He also met with Ali al-Sadiq, the foreign minister-designate, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Force.
“The two countries need to cooperate at the United Nations in order to push for its reform,” Sadiq said after the meeting, noting that Sudan will participate in the Russia-Africa Forum in July.
For his part, Lavrov stressed Russia’s support for Sudan at the UN Security Council to lift the sanctions imposed on it, saying: “Besides cooperation on the political side, we will raise cooperation in the economic field and investments.”
In 2005, during the bloody conflict in the western Darfur region, the United Nations imposed a series of sanctions on Khartoum, in addition to an arms embargo.
