Russian Military Bases Abroad

Sudan says will review naval base agreement with Russia

In late April, Sudan announced it was suspending an agreement with Russia to build a naval base in the country

CAIRO, June 2. /TASS/. Sudan will review its naval base agreement with Russia, because some of its provisions are harmful for the country’s interests, Sudanese Chief of General Staff Muhammad Othman al-Hussein said in an interview with the Blue Nile TV channel on Tuesday.

"At the moment, we are negotiating a possible review of this agreement, to ensure that our interests and our profits are taken into account," he said. "Some of the document’s provisions entail certain harm for Sudan."

"The agreement was signed under the previous regime, but it was never ratified by the legislature, as required by the international treaty approval procedure," the official went on. "Therefore, those agreements are not yet legally binding for us, and we have the opportunity to introduce amendments and changes to the agreement on military cooperation with Russia in the Red Sea, taking into account our interests."

The general went on to say that the deal will be put into practice if it is mutually beneficial and does not harm Sudan’s interests.

"That is why we are reviewing it, in a bid to determine Sudan’s interests with regard to this agreement. That is what the latest talks [with the Russian side] were all about. We seek advantages for ourselves in implementing this deal," he said.

At the same time, Muhammad Othman al-Hussein said his country was "open for military cooperation with the United States."

"Previously, Sudan had to limit its military cooperation only to Russia and China. Today, after the state was excluded from the list of state sponsors of international terrorism, we can cooperate with America and Western nations," he said.

However, the official denied any connection between the review of the deal with Moscow and improvement of relations with Washington.

In late April, Sudan announced it was suspending an agreement with Russia to build a naval base in the country. According to the channel, the agreement will be suspended "until it is approved by the legislature," which is non-existent at the country so far.

The news broke out in early December 2020 that Russia and Sudan had struck the agreement to build a naval logistical support and maintenance facility in the African country. The naval logistics base is designed for carrying out repairs, replenishing supplies and for the crewmembers of Russian naval ships to have a rest. Sudan will hand over to Russia for free for the entire period of the agreement’s duration the territory and the real estate that comprises the coastal zone and the water area with the mooring front (the berths for the floating craft). The military and civilian personnel should not exceed 300 people and may be increased upon agreement with Sudan, the document stipulates.

The agreement will be in effect for 25 years with automatic extension for 10 years, if neither party notifies the other party in writing through diplomatic channels no less than twelve months before the expiry of the relevant period about its intention to terminate it.

Former president Omar Bashir, who held the post for 30 years, was ousted as a result of a military coup on April 11, 2019.

https://tass.com/defense/1296945

Sudan prepares to ratify agreement on Russian Navy base — Lavrov.

The agreement has been announced to the public in early December, 2020.

MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. Sudan is about to ratify the agreement with Russia on the establishment of a Russian Navy base on its territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the talks with his Sudanese counterpart Mariam al-Mahdi Monday.

"We discussed this issue. We said that Russia has commenced the ratification process. The parliament is currently on vacation, so, once it is over, the State Duma will define the schedule for the reviewing of this document. This will be done by the new Duma membership. Mrs. Minister disclosed that Sudan is also preparing the ratification process. It will be carried out in accordance with procedures that exist in the Sudanese parliament," Lavrov said.

On July 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the agreement with Sudan on the establishment of a Russian Navy base. This agreement has been announced to the public in early December, 2020.

The base is supposed to be used for repairs and the resupply of Russian military ships, as well as for crew rest. On June 1, Sudan announced its review of the agreement, "in order to take Sudanese interests and profit into account." On June 10, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the text of the agreement may change, but Moscow confirms its interest in cooperation with Sudan.

https://tass.com/politics/1313057

"Difficult dilemma": The Spanish authorities decide whether or not to let Ru ssian ships into the port of Ceuta for refueling, 17.07.2021.

The Spanish government was faced with a "difficult dilemma" of how to respond to a request from the Russian Navy. fleet on refueling Russian warships in the port of the autonomous city of Ceuta. This is reported by the Spanish edition of El Confidencial.

The newspaper, citing sources in the Spanish government, writes that Russia has requested refueling of naval ships in Ceuta, an autonomous city on the coast of Morocco, owned by Spain. Previously, the Russian fleet has repeatedly refueled and replenished food and water supplies in Ceuta.

The Spaniards seem to be not opposed to providing the Russian fleet with a refueling point, since this brings good money to the city's treasury, but on the other hand, Russia is an enemy of NATO and Moscow's relations with Brussels are at their lowest point.

According to the newspaper, Madrid is leaning in favor of friendship with Moscow, but there is still no final decision on this issue, and there are fierce disputes in the government. Opponents of the "opening of Ceuta to the Russians" put pressure on the fact that in 2022 Spain will host a summit of heads of state and government of NATO countries, and the entry into one of the ports of Russian ships could "displease" the alliance.

Between 2011 and 2016, naval ships entered Ceuta for refueling more than 50 times, followed by a long hiatus until 2018, after NATO "expressed concern" about the arrival of "Admiral Kuznetsov" in Ceuta with escort ships in 2016. In 2018, a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet, led by the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov, entered the city; in 2019, Ceuta was visited by the training ship of the Baltic Fleet, Perekop.

https://en.topwar.ru/185053-slozhnaja-dilemma-vlasti-ispanii-reshajut-vopros-dostupa-rossijskih-korablej-v-port-seuty-dlja-dozapravki.html

**** them. Algeria is a better choice. And now they have Tartus so they can base one or two tankers there and use their own oil.

Why give money to US dogs ?

Putin, Biden Reportedly Discussed Use of Russian Bases to Monitor Situation in Afghanistan, by Ilya Tsukanov for Sputniknews. 17.07.2021.

The hurried US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan has sparked concerns in Moscow over the security of its Central Asian allies amid the Taliban's continued advance. All of Afghanistan's neighbours, including Russia's Tajik partners, have beefed up border security in a bid to stop violence and instability from spilling over into their nations.

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden discussed the possibility of exchanging information on the conflict in Afghanistan at their 16 June summit meeting in Geneva, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reports, citing sources said to be familiar with the situation.

The discussions are said to have included a proposal by Putin to use Russian bases in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, possibly to provide the US with information obtained through the use of drones. The US "hasn't given a clear answer for now", according to one source.

The business newspaper provided no further information about any other possible "coordination" between the two countries on Afghanistan.

Commenting on the story, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed to RBC that the situation in Afghanistan was on the agenda of the June summit, but did not comment on whether the discussions included talks about Russia's Central Asian bases.

US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad similarly has not commented on the report.

Russia has a major military presence in Tajikistan, which is one of Afghanistan's northern neighbours. Moscow's Collective Security Treaty Organisation ally hosts the 201st Military Base in Dushanbe. The base houses at least 7,000 troops, several hundred tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, at least one battalion of Orlan-10 reconnaissance drones, S-300 air defences, and over a dozen aircraft, including helicopters and ground attack jets.

Kyrgyzstan, which borders Tajikistan but does not have a common frontier with Afghanistan, hosts Russian personnel from the 14th Air and Air Defence Forces Army at the Kant Air Base, with about 500 Russian officers and airmen stationed there. The base's inventory includes Su-25 attack aircraft, Mi-8 helicopters, and its own contingent of Orlan-10 UAVs.

Sputnik has previously reported on US plans to station troops and equipment evacuated out of Afghanistan in a neighbouring country – possibly in one of the Central Asian republics. Uzbekistan, which is not a member of the CSTO, but maintains security ties with Moscow, has indicated that it would not allow US troops to be stationed in the country. Tajikistan hasn't hosted US troops since a brief stint in 2001. To the south of Afghanistan, traditional US ally Pakistan has also ruled out the deployment of American forces.

Last week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US was still "briskly" and "energetically" searching for options for where to host troops to address potential threats coming out of Afghanistan. Failing that, the US would use its "sophisticated and robust over-the-horizon capabilities" to stage attacks "even from afar", the spokesman suggested.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow plans to cooperate with Beijing and Washington to resolve the Afghan conflict through talks, including with the Taliban. A Taliban delegation visited Moscow earlier this month, telling reporters that the group would not allow any provocations with their Central Asian neighbours, promising to clamp down on the Afghan heroin trade which has bloomed under the US occupation, and reiterating that Daesh (ISIS)* would not be allowed to operate in areas under their control. It remains to be seen whether the Islamist group, which now claims to control up to 85 percent of the country's territory, will live up to its promises.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202107171083405228-putin-biden-reportedly-discussed-use-of-russian-bases-to-monitor-situation-in-afghanistan/

It is sad when it is the US that is the potential partner that Russia can't trust... I would be talking to the Taleban instead of Washington....

Russia, Sudan in talks on naval base on Red Sea coast — diplomat

Russia and Sudan signed a deal on establishing a Russian naval logistics base in Sudan in December 2020

MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. The Russian and Sudanese militaries are holding talks on establishing Russia’s naval base in Sudan and the latest negotiations were held with the participation of a Russian deputy defense minister, Russia’s Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday.

"This issue should be addressed to our defense officials. They held negotiations and a deputy defense minister paid a visit there," he said, without disclosing the details of negotiations between Russia and Sudan on establishing a Russian naval base in Sudan.

It was reported in early December 2020 that Russia and Sudan had signed a deal on establishing a Russian naval logistics base in Sudan. The naval logistics base is designed for carrying out repairs, replenishing supplies and for the crewmembers of Russian naval ships to have a rest. Under the document, the naval facility’s personnel should not exceed 300 people. Not more than four Russian naval ships may stay at the naval base at a time, the document stipulates.

Sudanese Chief of the General Staff Muhammad Othman al-Hussein said in an interview with the Blue Nile TV channel in June that Sudan was "in the process of revising the agreement signed between the former government of Sudan and Russia on the Russian military project on the coast of the Red Sea in Sudan."


https://tass.com/defense/1340301

Moscow hopes Sudan is to ink agreement on Russian military base — Russian diplomat

https://tass.com/defense/1359587

Sudan has no objection to hosting Russian naval base — media

If any country wants to open a military base and this does not threaten Sudanese national security, Sudan has no problems in relations with anyone, Deputy Head of the ruling Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo noted

CAIRO, March 3. /TASS/. Deputy Head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) said on Thursday that Khartoum had no objection to hosting a Russian naval base on the country’s territory on condition that it posed no threat to national security, the newspaper Asharq Al-Aswat reported.

Hemedti made this statement upon his return from Moscow where he held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "If any country wants to open a [military] base and this meets our interests and does not threaten our national security, we have no problems in relations with anyone, be it Russia or someone else," he said.

Commenting on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Hemedti said that Sudan’s position was outlined by the Sovereign Council, which urged the parties to resolve the crisis through a dialogue and diplomacy.

It was reported in early December 2020 that Russia and Sudan had signed a deal on establishing a Russian naval logistics base in Sudan. The naval logistics base is designed for carrying out repairs, replenishing supplies and for the crewmembers of Russian naval ships to have a rest. Under the document, the naval facility’s personnel should not exceed 300 people. Not more than four Russian naval ships may stay at the naval base at a time, the document stipulates.

Sudanese Chief of the General Staff Muhammad Othman al-Hussein said in an interview with the Blue Nile TV channel in June last year that Sudan was "in the process of revising the agreement signed between the former government of Sudan and Russia on the Russian military project on the coast of the Red Sea in Sudan."


https://tass.com/defense/1416077

Russia, Central African Republic picking site for Moscow’s military base — Russian Embassy

https://tass.com/politics/1733651

Eritrea would be a nice spot, too.

Nearly half of the population of Eritrea are Orthodox Christians.
Russia would defend her valuies, too.