There’s hope for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, but Russia isn’t slowing down. Meanwhile, Sudan has been stuck in its own messy civil war since 2019. Two major groups are fighting: the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), run by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who’s also Sudan’s current president. The worst of the fighting has been around the capital, Khartoum, and nearby areas. Now, the SAF has set up a new base in Port Sudan, a city on the east coast by the Red Sea, which is a crucially important location.
Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, sees Port Sudan as a means to grow Russia’s power in Africa. It’s a great location because it connects to the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, a key route for shipping. If Russia gets a foothold there, it could mess with oil and gas supplies that the West relies on, which is a big concern,
Back in 2017, Russia and Sudan started talking about a deal to let Russia build a naval base in Port Sudan for 25 years. But the fighting in Sudan got worse, especially in 2023, and the plan stalled. This was bad news for Russia, too—they wanted to use a group called Wagner to control Sudan’s gold mines, which helped them get around Western sanctions after invading Ukraine in 2022.
In 2024, though, Russia sent a top official, Mikhail Bogdanov, to Port Sudan to back the SAF. They offered military help to seal the naval base deal. Russia wants to station 300 troops and four warships there—some even nuclear-powered. Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Ali Youssef, confirmed the deal at the start of 2025 but tried to play it down, saying it’s not that big a deal.
This move hurts China and the West. Russia lost its base in Syria (called Tartus) in late 2024 and is eager to bounce back in the region. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, and Saudi Arabia are probably pretty nervous about this. If Russia starts throwing its weight around in the Red Sea, it could shake up the world economy and even push us closer to a bigger conflict—maybe even World War III.
There’s plenty to be concerned about here.
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