Sudan’s strategic role in the Red Sea

The recent period witnessed considerable instability in the Red Sea; the Houthis repeatedly imposed a blockade on this crucial international trade corridor; this disturbance is expected to increase with the continuation of the war with Iran and the risk of Iran leveraging the Houthis as a proxy to expand the war to this area. 

Amid this geopolitical tension, Sudan, a country with a long coastline along the Red Sea, emerges as a stabilising force and a trusted partner in containing this threat. But this role depends on a balanced dynamic between the country and regional and global powers with vested interests in Red Sea stability.  

There have been several steps Sudan has taken and initiatives it has joined to ensure the security of the Red Sea.

In response to the Houthis ‘ blockade of Red Sea ships, Sudan strongly condemned this escalation and expressed its full support for Saudi Arabia and called for the international community to take effective measures to counter the activities of terrorist militias. 

Sudan has also taken practical steps to control arms smuggling in the Red Sea region; for instance, in September 2022, Sudan announced it captured a Yemeni boat loaded with weapons, and in September 2026, the Sudanese customs and intelligence officers announced the interception of a shipment of smuggled military hardware along the Red Sea coast.

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Recently, Sudan started to engage in the Red Sea security by becoming a key member of three Red Sea security initiatives: The Red Sea Project, which aims to enhance Red Sea maritime law enforcement, and the Red Sea defense coalition led by Saudi Arabia, in addition to signing a security agreement with the Yemeni government to boost security in the region. 

To avoid escalating geopolitical tension in the Red Sea region, Sudan did not move forward with the Russian naval base on the Red Sea and rejected building an Iranian base as well, despite its support for those two countries. 

Sudan also restrained itself from meddling in the ongoing tension between Eritrea and Ethiopia despite the latter becoming a hub for the RSF militia to launch attacks against Sudan. This stance will help the Red Sea avoid any additional war that could eventually develop into regional conflagration. 

The international community and the West in particular should value these steps undertaken by Sudan. With greater stability Sudan can play an even more effective role in the Red Sea this however would depend on the defeat the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The rebel militia have demonstrated in the past that it has no red lines when it launched drone attacks on Port Sudan city on the Red Sea coast. Such reckless activities could lead to a wider conflict in the eastern part of Sudan with all the attendant evils of arms smuggling, human trafficking and irregular migration to Europe.

Importantly, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) should be pressured to stop arming the RSF militia; this is the main step to end the war and hence ensure the stability of the Red Sea region. 

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.