Sudan’s Burhan affirms keenness to strengthen ties with Russia

Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, yesterday affirmed his country’s willingness to enhance ties with Russia in a way that serves the common interests of the two countries, Anadolu reported.

This came during a meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Port Sudan, east of the country, according to a statement by the Sovereignty Council.

The statement said Al-Burhan “affirmed Sudan’s desire to upgrade and strengthen its relations with Russia in a way that serves the shared interests between the two countries.”

The statement also quoted Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Hussein Al-Amin as saying: “the Russian envoy’s visit represents a message of solidarity with the Sudanese government and people, and carries with it the Russian leadership’s support for Sudan.”

He added that the Russian envoy affirmed Moscow’s support for the existing legitimacy in the country represented by the Sovereign Council as well as support for Sudan in all international forums, especially since the country faces internal and external challenges and attacks on its security and stability.

In a statement, Bogdanov said Moscow was looking forward to more cooperation with Sudan in various fields, stressing that the leadership of the two countries have the political will to advance cooperation to broader horizons.

Russia’s relationship with Sudan is based on the “basic principles of preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Sudan,” he added

Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in battles between the army, led by Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), which left about 15,000 dead and about 8.5 million displaced, according to the United Nations.

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