The Sudanese authorities will support the development of military cooperation with Russia, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's military leader and commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
RIA Novosti was the first media outlet to speak with Sudan's military leader after recent events in the country involving the detention of officials and the dissolution of authorities.
"We have a long and uninterrupted cooperation with Russia. We will support it wholeheartedly because Russia is always honest in its relations with us and seeks to develop cooperation and develop the Sudanese armed forces," Al-Burhan said when asked about the prospects for military cooperation between Russia and Sudan.
The agreement to establish a Russian naval station in Sudan became known in November 2020. According to the document, the maximum number of personnel of the naval station, whose work is carried out by forces and means of the Russian side, will not exceed 300 people. No more than four Russian ships will be able to be there at one time.
At the beginning of the last week, the Sudanese military detained prime minister Abdallah Hamdok and several other members of the government. The head of the transitional Sovereign council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, announced in a televised address to the nation that a state of emergency had been declared and the country's authorities had been dissolved. On Tuesday, it was reported that Hamdok and his wife returned to their residence in the capital.
Sudan experienced a military coup in April 2019, sparked by popular protests amid a deep economic crisis and declining living standards. President Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled for 30 years, was removed from power and later imprisoned.
In September 2021, Sudanese authorities reported that they had prevented an attempted military coup in the country. According to the military command, most of the coup attempt participants were detained, including 21 officers and a number of soldiers. Sudanese prime minister Abdallah Hamdok said at the time that the attempted coup points to the need for reforms in the army and security forces. The Sudanese authorities named al-Bashir's supporters as the organizers of the revolt.
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Photo: CHRISTOPHE ENA / POOL
Based on materials from RIA Novosti