The government of the Russian Federation sent for approval to Russian President Vladimir Putin a proposal to create a logistics centre for the Navy in Sudan. The corresponding document was published on the governmental portal of legal information on Wednesday, 11 November. According to the document, the Russian Federation and Sudan have previously discussed the draft agreement.
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The text of the document states that "the Republic of Sudan expresses the consent of the Russian Federation to the creation and deployment of a logistics centre on the territory of the Republic of Sudan, as well as the development and modernization of its infrastructure for repairs, replenishment and rest of the crew members of Russian warships."
According to the draft Agreement, the Russian Federation will be able to simultaneously deploy at the point no more than 4 naval ships (including ships with a nuclear power plant), up to 300 Russian military personnel, electronic warfare, and air defense systems. It is specified that the land is provided free of charge, but in return, Sudan receives investments in the development of the port and the construction of a new berth for its fleet.
Russia will be able to transport through the seaports and airfields of Sudan "any weapons, ammunition, equipment" necessary for the operation of the base and "for the performance of tasks by warships." In response, the Russian side undertakes to provide assistance to Sudan, including in search and rescue operations and "anti-sabotage support", if the authorities of the country ask for it. According to the draft bilateral agreement, Russia is ready to supply arms and military equipment free of charge for the organization of air defense of the Port Sudan naval base of the Sudanese naval forces.
In an interview with Interfax, the former chief of the General Staff of the Russian Navy, Admiral (retired) Viktor Kravchenko, noted that the logistics point in Sudan will be important for Russian warships that carry out anti-piracy missions and are involved in guarding convoys. “In fact, Russia will have a base on the Red Sea. This is a tense region. A Russian naval presence is needed there. Of course, the operational capabilities of our fleet will improve,” he said.
“Our ships will be able to enter the base in Sudan and, if necessary, be repaired and refueled. Our ships are constantly in this region and we need a basing point there, ”concluded Kravchenko. According to the admiral, in the future, the logistics centre in Sudan can become a full-fledged naval base.
The annex to the draft Agreement contains the configurations of the allocated sites, as well as their coordinates. On their basis, the authors of the Vatfor blog prepared images of the future sites for the location of the Russian logistics centre in Port Sudan, agreed with the Sudanese side. The images are posted on the Vatfor channel in Telegram.
It is planned to conclude an Agreement for a period of 25 years with automatic renewal for ten-year periods.