{"id":20113959,"date":"2025-02-17T18:09:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T17:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20113959"},"modified":"2025-02-18T11:59:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T10:59:17","slug":"sudan-ex-fm-diplomatic-pivot-to-russia-and-iran-signals-deepening-isolation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/sudan-ex-fm-diplomatic-pivot-to-russia-and-iran-signals-deepening-isolation","title":{"rendered":"Sudan ex-FM: ‘Diplomatic pivot to Russia and Iran signals deepening isolation’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sudan\u2019s Foreign Minister, Ali Yousef, has praised Iran\u2019s support for Sudan during an official visit to Iran\u2019s capital of Tehran yesterday, just days after securing a deal in Moscow to establish a Russian base on the Red Sea.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recently appointed<\/a> foreign minister\u2019s diplomatic manoeuvres have sparked sharp reactions, with both the Communist Party of Sudan and the mainstream Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party issuing statements rejecting the proposed Russian military base.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) growing ties with Russia and Iran come as it intensifies combat operations, recently reclaiming Sennar and El Gezira<\/a> states while advancing in North Kordofan, Khartoum North (Bahri), Omdurman, and parts of Khartoum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Ayoub, speaking to Radio Dabanga, described the\u00a0government\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0outreach to Russia, Iran, Egypt, and Germany as a sign of its deepening international isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe military regime in Port Sudan<\/a> is desperate to secure arms to sustain the civil war. Russia and Iran, as key arms exporters, are willing suppliers, though at a price,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argued that Sudan\u2019s pivot towards Moscow and Tehran<\/a> follows its recently \u201ccooling ties\u201d with Turkey, due to shifting regional dynamics, particularly in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, China<\/a> appears to be waiting to see how US policy<\/a> evolves before committing to Sudan\u2019s fragile regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe actions of Foreign Minister Ali Yousef resemble confusion rather than a coherent foreign policy,\u201d Ayoub added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the humanitarian conference<\/a> on Sudan in Addis Ababa on Friday, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres<\/a> warned of the continued flow of weapons into the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SAF, along with international actors, has repeatedly accused the UAE<\/a> of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Russia\u2019s naval ambitions in Sudan\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on Yousef\u2019s Moscow visit, Ayoub said the foreign minister sought to reassure Russian officials that Sudan\u2019s commitment to the Red Sea naval base remains firm. However, Russia\u2019s Foreign Minister declined to comment when pressed by journalists, a move Ayoub interpreted as an attempt to gauge the response of the new US administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Sudanese government is following the same playbook as former President Omar Al Bashir<\/a> seeking Russian backing to stay in power after losing regional allies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Sudanese Ambassador to Lebanon, Jamal Ibrahim, criticised Yousef\u2019s public remarks about the Russian base agreement, arguing that such matters should be handled discreetly. \u201cThese are issues of national security and should not be disclosed in the media,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ibrahim warned that the foreign minister\u2019s visits to Moscow and Tehran risk exacerbating tensions. \u201cAt a time when efforts are being made to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan, these moves could stir further unrest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With international attention largely focused on the Israel-Gaza crisis, Sudan\u2019s diplomatic realignment could have significant consequences. Iran and Russia, both long-time backers of Syria\u2019s former President Bashar Al Asad, have been deepening their ties with Sudan over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to sources, Iran has proposed establishing a helicopter carrier on Sudan\u2019s Red Sea coast, an offer the SAF have yet to accept. Analysts at the Robert Lansing Institute<\/em> suggest that Sudan may become more receptive to the idea as the war drags on.<\/p>\n