Russia Could Be Getting First Naval Base in Africa

By Brendan Cole and John Feng

Senior News Reporter

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Russia has been offered a deal in which it gets a naval base in Sudan in return for weapons and military equipment, it has been reported.

In February, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Youssef had said that his country would allow Russia to build a naval base, without specifying the terms of the deal.

But Sudan’s military government offered Russian officials the right to station troops and warships on the Red Sea, in return for military assistance to the country where a war that has displaced millions continues to rage, The Wall Street Journal reported citing Sudanese officials.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Sudanese foreign ministries for comment.

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Why It Matters

After the fall of Bashar al Assad in Syria, Russia lost its base in the Mediterranean and its ability to project naval might in the region.

The prospect of a port in Sudan in return for military help could hand Moscow a strategic boon in the Red Sea, which is located near the Arabian Sea where U.S. military assets are based. The move could also help Moscow's bid to increase its influence in Africa.

What To Know

Sudan’s military government approved Russia’s first African naval base near Port Sudan in February. The port is a link between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which handles around 12 percent of global trade.

The Wall Street Journal reported further details of the proposal this week. It said unnamed Sudanese officials had said that the country’s military government offered Moscow in October to base Russian troops and warships at Port Sudan, or another Red Sea facility.

Russia could station 300 troops and up to four vessels, included nuclear powered ones there, according to the report.

Moscow has been pursuing such a facility for five years. Under the terms of the deal, it could also get first dibs on lucrative mining concessions in Sudan, which is the third-largest gold producer in Africa, the paper said.

In return, Sudan's military regime would get advanced Russian antiaircraft systems and other cut-price weaponry that would be tricky to obtain from the U.S or the EU but is considered critical as a civil war with the rebel Rapid Support Forces continues to rage.

That conflict started in 2023 due to a power struggle between Sudan’s army led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan and the RSF commanded by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagal.

It has spiraled into one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions.

The WSJ reported that a Russian base on the Red Sea is of concern for the U.S. as it competes with China and Russia for influence in Africa.

In 2017, China completed its first overseas naval base, in Djibouti, on the Bab al-Mandab strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, only miles from the biggest U.S. military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier.

A Red Sea base would allow Moscow to deploy vessels in the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans for longer than they are able to currently and better project power, the WSJ reported.

What People Are Saying

Retired Air Force Major General Mark Hicks, who commanded U.S. special-operations units in Africa, per The Wall Street Journal, said a port in Africa “increases Russia’s leverage by giving them more international prestige and clout.”

Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies said in a report in March: “The establishment of a Russian naval base in Port Sudan has raised alarms among Western and regional powers, as it could significantly boost Moscow’s military influence in Africa and disrupt key shipping lanes.”

What Happens Next

There is no set timeframe on when a port facility for Russian forces will be operational. Meanwhile, the Sudanese regime is pushing for a deal with Moscow over the port due to a deteriorating position on the battlefield, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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