Oct 12, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities have received a military training ship for the Navy from Russia as part of a military cooperation between the two countries.
Briefing the media in Khartoum on Sunday, Engineer Rear-Admiral Haji Ahmed Youssef confirmed that the Sudanese Navy received the military training ship at their naval base, Flamengo, on the Red Sea.
During the handover ceremony, the Russian flag was lowered and the Sudanese flag was raised to exchange the military bows in presence of high-ranking Russian delegation.
In his speech, Engineer Rear-Admiral Haji Ahmed Youssef said the ship is a great addition to their Navy. He appreciates the Russians for the good gesture.
“the ship is a real addition to the capabilities of the Sudanese Navy in the field of training, and appreciated the Russian support in this regard.” Haji said.
Eng. Haji also confirms that the Russian navy will stay in Sudan for at least one month to train the Sudanese navy crew.
Among the dignitaries that attended the event were the Governor of the Red Sea, Major General Amr Hanafi, the military commander of the region and other high-ranking Navy commanders.
The two countries tied a military cooperation in January last year in which the two countries agreed to mutual interests in the areas of military training, engineering and military education.
The cooperations were further discussed when the head of the Sudan Sovereign Council Gen. Abdel Fatt al-Burhan met the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Russian-African summit in Sochi in October 2019.
Putin swiftly took the opportunity to declare his support to the Sovereign Council under the new leadership of Gen. Abdel Fatt al-Burhan and pledged to bolster political ties.
The agreements and other biliteral ties have given Russia a greenlight to use Port Sudan for its warships as long as a 7-day advanced notice would be served to the Sudanese authorities.
In February this year, the Director of the General Administration of International Cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry visited Khartoum and was received by the Sudanese army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mohamed Othman al-Hussein, who reminded the Russians about the military deals and the need to begin their implementations.
These ties between Russia and Khartoum saw the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landing in Khartoum through Isreal on August 25, 2020.
