Similar rivalry rounds have brought the two parties together since long ago
Sudan is in the midst of a feverish struggle for influence between Russia and America
Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.
A.F.B.
The American destroyer Winston Churchill before docking in Port Sudan.
A.F.B.
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The reception of the port of Port Sudan, eastern Sudan, for the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich, from the docking of the American destroyer Winston Churchill in the same port was only a few hours away, in a scene that bears many indications.
The United States and Russia are united by a frantic race to find a foothold on the Red Sea coast, and to consolidate influence in that strategic region.
And the US-Russian race to be there may highlight the similar rounds of rivalry that have brought the two parties together for a long time.
Observers believe that Washington is trying to block the road to Moscow this time, drawing lessons from what happened in Syria and Libya, where the Russian bear extended its influence and started to control the course of events in these two countries.
This is the second time within a week that an American warship has reached the Red Sea coast, in a step that reflects the development of Sudanese-American relations after decades of stalemate. .
"The Chargé d'Affairs to the embassy has arrived in the Red Sea State to welcome the US Navy ship," the US embassy in Khartoum said in a statement.
She pointed out that the visit of the military ship "highlights the US support for the democratic transition in Sudan, and the strengthening of the partnership with it."
Deputy US Africa Command (AFRICOM) for civil-military communication Andrew Young, and Director of Intelligence Admiral Heidi Berg, visited Khartoum last January to expand the partnership between Sudan and the United States, in light of the US desire for a military presence in the territorial waters of Sudan.
Analysts believe that relations between Khartoum and Washington have improved after President Omar al-Bashir's removal from power in April 2019, and that they are seeking to establish an economic partnership.
On the other hand, the sending of the Russian frigate to Sudan represents the first such incident in Russia's modern history, according to the press office of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The frigate will refuel during its visit, and its crew members will have a rest after participating in multinational maritime exercises that included 45 countries and were held in the Arabian Sea on February 15 and 16, where the crews of participating countries' ships trained to communicate with each other when repelling attacks from targets. Small, high-speed, plus anti-piracy drill.
Observers believe that Sudan, which is witnessing a transitional phase that is not without economic suffering, and tensions with neighboring Ethiopia, between border disputes and others related to its concerns about the repercussions of building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, is trying to make the most of the US-Russian influence struggle.
Sudan may have reaped the first fruits of this competition after the administration of former US President Donald Trump officially removed it, last December, from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, which opened the door to removing restrictions on any US military cooperation with him.
The new stage of coordination between the two countries includes intelligence cooperation in the field of combating terrorism and extremist groups in the Horn of Africa, and may even reach the point of allowing American forces to use military facilities in Sudan.
The United States expressed, through its embassy in Khartoum early this week, a desire for close military cooperation with Sudan, explaining that its military attaché, Jacob Day, is working with the Sudanese army to strengthen bilateral relations.
The acceleration of the American move comes about a month after the announcement of Russia's intention to establish a logistics center for its navy in Port Sudan, which could become the nucleus of a military base.
The details revealed that this center accommodates 300 soldiers and civilians and four ships, including nuclear powered ships, according to an agreement signed three years ago, with a duration of 25 years, renewable for another 10 years, provided that the Sudanese government obtains weapons and military equipment from Russia in return. .
Analysts say that this step comes within the framework of Moscow's keenness to consolidate its influence in the African continent, which is rich in natural resources and is a huge market for Russian weapons.
The Russian state-run TASS news agency pointed out the importance of the logistics center to be established in facilitating the operations of the Russian naval fleet in the Indian Ocean, explaining that it would enable the Russian Navy to switch the crews of the Russian naval vessels deployed in the ocean by transporting them by air to Sudan, in addition to Russia’s ability to deploy Air defense systems in the facility, to protect it and prevent the flight of aircraft in the airspace of the base.
After Khartoum initially remained silent about this information, the Sudanese army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Muhammad Othman al-Hussein, denied the existence of a complete agreement with Moscow, affirming the continuation of military cooperation with it. Al Qaeda is under study ».
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comes the
acceleration of the
US move about a
month after the
announcement of Russia 's
intention to
establish a logistics center belonging to the
navy in Port Sudan could become the
nucleus of a
military base.
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