Russia’s Lavrov visits Sudan on diplomatic push in Africa’s Sahel

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to meet officials in Sudan on Thursday, part of an African tour seeking to expand influence at a time when Western nations have sought to isolate Moscow with sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov arrived in Khartoum late on Wednesday, seeking to bolster the two countries’ economic ties, especially in infrastructure, state news agency SUNA said. Lavrov’s tour has also included Iraq, Mauritania and Mali, and last week he visited South Africa.
Sudan was cut off from billions of dollars in international financing after military leaders ousted a Western-backed transitional government in 2021. At the same time as receiving Lavrov, Sudanese authorities were this week hosting envoys from the United States, Britain and France, who are supporting talks to form a new democratic civilian government in Sudan.
Western countries are concerned about Russia’s expanding influence in Africa’s Sahel and its border regions. Sudan’s ruling military council has previously considered allowing Russia to open a naval base on the Red Sea coast, a strategic region where Gulf countries and Turkey also vie for influence.