KHARTOUM: Sudan is reviewing a deal its ousted strongman negotiated with Russia allowing construction of a naval base after some clauses were found to be 鈥渟omewhat harmful,鈥� a top military official has said.
For decades, Sudan was dependent militarily on Russia because of crippling sanctions imposed by Washington against the government of now ousted president Omar Al-Bashir.
But since his 2019 overthrow, Sudan has moved closer to the United States which removed Khartoum from its crippling blacklist last year.
鈥淭his deal was signed under the former National Salvation Government,鈥� armed forces chief of staff General Mohamed Othman Al-Hussein said in an interview broadcast late Tuesday.
He said 鈥渢alks to review the deal to serve Sudan鈥檚 interests鈥� had been held with a visiting Russian delegation last week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Bashir in 2017 on establishing a naval base in Port Sudan, on Sudan鈥檚 Red Sea coast.
No announcement was ever made by the Sudanese side but Russia said it had signed a 25-year agreement with Sudan in December last year to build and operate the base.
Under the deal, Russia鈥檚 navy was to be allowed to keep up to four ships at a time at the base, including nuclear-powered vessels.
The base was to be staffed by up to 300 military and civilian personnel.
Russia said it would have the right to transport via Sudan鈥檚 ports and airports 鈥渨eapons, ammunition and equipment鈥� needed for the naval base to function.
In recent months, Sudanese media have reported that Khartoum has suspended the agreement and demanded that Moscow remove equipment already installed in Port Sudan.
In April, the Russian embassy denied the reports saying they 鈥渄o not correspond to the reality鈥� and that Moscow had received 鈥渘o notification鈥� from Khartoum to that effect.
Sudan鈥檚 armed forces chief said Tuesday that the deal 鈥渋ncluded clauses that were somewhat harmful to the country. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 being reviewed.
鈥淪o long as this deal has not... been ratified, then we have some freedom to discuss it,鈥� he said.
Under Sudan鈥檚 transitional constitution, international agreements would normally be ratified by the legislative council, which has yet to be set up.
Since August 2019, Sudan been led by a transitional administration that has sought to end the country鈥檚 international isolation.
The government has forged closer ties with the United States, and in December last year, Washington delisted Khartoum as a state sponsor of terrorism.
In March, a US warship visited Port Sudan in a move that 鈥渉ighlights the willingness鈥� of the US military to 鈥渟trengthen their renewed partnership鈥� with Sudan鈥檚 armed forces, the US embassy in Khartoum said at the time.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill docked shortly after the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich arrived in port.
鈥淲e have begun restoring our military ties with the US,鈥� said Hussein.
鈥淭he Americans are still groping their way after the long boycott... but we are open to cooperation.鈥�