Kremlin puzzled by Sudan's decision not to build naval base for Russia in Red Sea

Representatives of the General Staff of Sudan reported yesterday that Khartoum was intended to revise the agreement with Moscow on the establishment of a Russian naval base on the Red Sea coast. The Kremlin is aware of the report and intends to look into the matter in detail. 

“We saw those statements,” Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, noting that Russia maintains constant contact with Sudan through diplomatic channels. “We will look into the issue,” he added.

Sudan's Chief of Staff, Mohammed Usman al-Hussei, announced Khartoum's decision to revise the agreement on the creation of a logistics center for the Russian Navy in Sudan yesterday, June 1. According to the official, it was the previous government of Sudan that signed the agreement, but it was not ratified by the legislature, and now the Sudanese authorities want to determine Sudan's interests in the agreement.

Russia agreed with Sudan to build a naval base in the country in December last year. The agreement, concluded for 25 years, stipulated that Khartoum would give part of the port and the adjacent water area to Moscow free of charge, and Russia would start supplying arms and military equipment to Sudan in return. The Russian military personnel and civilian specialists at the base should not exceed 300 people, and the base should not host more than four Russian warships at a time, the document said.