Sudan: Iran And Russia’s New Red Sea Frontline – The Cradle
Sudan: Iran And Russia’s New Red Sea Frontline
As Iran and Russia-backed forces in Sudan achieve major battlefield successes, Tehran and Moscow look to gain a strategic Red Sea foothold to compensate for their setbacks in Syria.
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Sharif announced on 12 February that Sudan has agreed to allow Russia to establish a naval base on the Red Sea coast…
This development coincides with the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) rapid battlefield successes… as well as growing international alignment with the SAF in its civil war with the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Until early 2024, the Russians largely backed the RSF, but switching sides aligned Moscow’s position more closely with Iran – a strong SAF backer – reduced the SAF’s cooperation with Ukraine, and supported Russian interests in establishing a naval base in Port Sudan…
The RSF counts the UAE, the Libyan National Army, Chad, and until recently Russia and Kenya among its backers. Meanwhile, the SAF is supported by Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Turkiye, Iran, and now Russia. These alliances have sometimes proved to be fluid, with shifting loyalties driven..
..With Sudan’s Red Sea coast halfway between Israel and Yemen, Iran’s support for the SAF could …derail Israel-Sudan ties established by the 2020 Abraham Accords.…
Sudan has experienced civil war almost every year since declaring independence in 1956. In 1989, Omar al-Bashir ousted prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, aligning Khartoum with Iran, which provided weapons in return for access to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Iran’s support was controversial due to Sudan’s genocide in Darfur.
Relations, however, deteriorated as Sudan sided with Saudi Arabia during the growing Saudi-Iranian rift. Beginning in 2014, Sudan closed all Iranian cultural centers and expelled Iranian diplomats. The following year, Sudan sent RSF troops to support the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen’s Anasrallah-aligned forces.
In 2016, Sudan, along with other Arab countries, cut off relations with Iran…. That same year, Sudan also began normalizing relations with Israel.
In 2019, protests broke out in Sudan against the rising cost of living. In April of that year, the country’s army, which included elements of what became the SAF and RSF, overthrew the government. A power struggle between SAF and RSF turned into war in April 2023 when RSF captured Khartoum’s airport, the presidential palace, and several key military bases. Despite these drastic changes, Sudan continued to normalize relations with the occupation state.
From civil war to proxy war
…The UAE kept this relationship secret, hoping to open a new port along the SAF-controlled Red Sea. This was canceled when their support was uncovered. It is widely believed that without UAE support, the RSF would completely collapse.
Also supporting the RSF is Sudan’s western neighbor Chad, which provides weapons..
Russia supported the RSF to protect its pre-war gold mining. Last year, however, Moscow switched to supporting the SAF…
🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Cradle
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