PNN – The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, claimed that Sudanese officials have offered Russia the establishment of a military base on Sudan’s coast, which would be Russia’s first naval base in Africa and a strategic advantage for Moscow.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, quoting the Russian news agency Interfax, the American newspaper claimed, based on its sources, that Sudan proposed a 25-year agreement with Russia in October this year. Under this agreement, Moscow would have the right to deploy up to 300 personnel and up to four ships in the port of “Port Sudan” or another location on the Red Sea.
The Wall Street Journal added that in exchange for allowing the use of this base, Russia is expected to provide Sudan with advanced Russian air-defense systems and other weapons at a discount. The American newspaper further wrote that this base would be established in an unprecedented location overlooking vital Red Sea trade routes.
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The report stated that within the framework of the 25-year agreement, Russia would also be granted access to profitable mining concessions in Sudan, the third-largest gold producer in Africa.
The Wall Street Journal further wrote that if a final agreement is reached, it would be “a strategic advantage for Moscow” and “a worrying development for the United States,” which seeks to prevent Russia and China from gaining control over African ports.
A Sudanese military official, whose name was not revealed, told the newspaper that Sudan needs new military equipment.
Russian officials have so far not commented on the accuracy of this report.
The Russian news agency RBC also wrote that in 2020, Russia and Sudan announced their agreement to sign an intergovernmental treaty under which Sudan agreed to the creation and deployment of a Russian naval logistics base on its territory. According to this Russian outlet, such plans were under consideration before the 2019 events in Sudan, but negotiations were halted after the country’s internal developments.
In February 2025, Ali Yousuf Ahmed Al-Sharif, Sudan’s then-Foreign Minister, said that both sides had reached a mutual understanding regarding the establishment of this base. Meanwhile, Andrey Chernovol, Russia’s ambassador to Sudan, stated in November 2025 that due to the internal military conflict in Sudan, progress on this issue is currently halted.