Relationship dossier
Russia
Sudan
Relationship assessment
Military and economic cooperation, with uncertainty over implementation and continuity
Russia toward Sudan
+35Russia has supplied arms and pursued military cooperation and mining-related agreements with Sudan. It has also negotiated with Sudanese authorities over a proposed naval facility at Port Sudan, whose implementation remains uncertain.
Sudan toward Russia
+20Sudanese authorities have pursued military and economic cooperation with Russia and negotiated over a proposed Russian naval facility at Port Sudan. Sudan has at times abstained rather than join United Nations criticism of Russia.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has included substantive military and economic cooperation and negotiations over a potential Russian naval presence. These ties are tempered by uncertainty over implementation and by repeated political upheaval and conflict in Sudan, which make the durability of bilateral arrangements difficult to gauge.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Russia and Sudan have pursued military and economic cooperation, including arms and mining-related ties. Sudanese authorities have also discussed a proposed Russian naval facility at Port Sudan, though implementation has remained uncertain. Sudan's positions at the United Nations have at times avoided joining Western criticism of Russia, but the relationship's scope and continuity are affected by political upheaval and conflict in Sudan.
Key developments
Sudan and Russia signed a military cooperation agreement.
Sudanese and Russian authorities negotiated a proposal for a Russian naval facility at Port Sudan.
Sudan abstained on a United Nations resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The status and implementation of the proposed Russian naval facility at Port Sudan are unclear.
- The scope of Russian military and mining-related arrangements with Sudan is uncertain.
- Sudan's political upheaval and conflict complicate the continuity of bilateral policy.