Politics
The main Sudanese ports of the Red Sea coveted by regional powers
(MENAFN-AFP)
From Washington to Moscow, from Tehran to Ankara, Sudan’s strategic ports on the Red Sea, blocked for a month by demonstrators, have long been ogled by world powers far beyond Africa’s borders.
Boasting natural resources such as gold and rich in maritime biodiversity, the scenic region of white sands and mangroves stretches 714 kilometers (444 miles) – from Sudan’s borders with Egypt in the north to Eritrea in the South.
“Sudan’s Red Sea ports are a commercial hub for neighboring landlocked countries like Chad, Ethiopia and Central Africa,” Ahmed Mahgoub, head of the southern terminal in Port Sudan, told AFP.
But traffic through Sudan’s main maritime nerve center, Port Sudan, has been crippled since anti-government protests erupted in mid-September amid disillusionment with the region’s political and economic marginalization.
Thus, since October, much of the trade has been redirected through other regional ports, mainly to Egypt.
The protests are just the latest chapter in decades of intense internal strife between tribes and factions, driven in part by Sudan’s shifting political alliances under ousted President Omar al-Bashir.
He was impeached in April 2019 after mass protests against his three-decade Iron Fist rule.
Protesters say they oppose an October 2020 peace deal between Sudan’s post-Bashir transitional government and rebel groups because “it does not represent them.”
– Militarily strategic –
Protests in the east also sparked unrest in the capital Khartoum, where pro-military protests erupted on Saturday demanding the dissolution of the ailing transitional government.
But for foreign powers that covet the Sudanese Red Sea coast, the region has strategic military dimensions.
It hosted Iranian fleets for decades under Bashir, much to the chagrin of Tehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia, whose port of Jeddah on the Red Sea sits across from Port Sudan across the way. navigable.
And in 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bashir negotiated the construction of a naval base in Port Sudan, which will include up to 300 military and civilian personnel and nuclear-powered ships.
In the same year, Bashir also signed a 99-year lease for Suakin Island with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a move that angered Egypt and other rival Sunni Muslim powers with concern about the growing regional influence of Ankara.
The agreement provides for the maintenance of buildings, docks for ships and the renovation of Ottoman-era buildings on the island.
The Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II would have nicknamed Suakin the “white city” because it shelters spectacular buildings in porous coral limestone extracted from the coral reef.
Suakin is one of many Red Sea islands held by Sudan, which analysts see as “integral to the country’s national security.”
The islands cover a total area of 23,100 square kilometers (89,100 square miles), which is equivalent to the size of Djibouti, said Shaimaa Abdelsameea, professor at the University of the Red Sea.
– “The race for control” –
These islands could be used as observation outposts or to conduct military maneuvers, she noted.
“However, they are all uninhabited, which makes them vulnerable to illicit activities, including smuggling,” said Ahmed Abdelaziz, professor at the University of Port Sudan.
Sudan had sought to cement its ties with Russia under Bashir to offset crippling sanctions imposed by Washington against its autocratic regime.
And last year, Moscow announced the signing of a 25-year agreement with Khartoum to build and operate the Port Sudan base.
However, in June, Sudan said it was “still reviewing” the agreement after finding that some clauses were “somewhat damaging”.
The move came as Khartoum struggled to solidify ties with the United States following Bashir’s ouster.
In December, Washington removed Khartoum from its crippling list of terrorist sponsor states, a designation that had long strangled the Sudanese economy.
The lifting of sanctions came after a meeting between former US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
Senior US military officials have since visited Sudan.
“The Red Sea is a key waterway for the movement of US fleets,” according to Abdelsameea.
“It connects the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and the Fifth in the Arabian Gulf,” she said.
“The race to control Sudanese ports is therefore very natural.
MENAFN20102021000143011026ID1103000846
Legal warning: MENAFN provides the information as is, without warranty of any kind. We accept no responsibility for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this item, please contact the supplier above.
Sources 2/ https://menafn.com/1103000846/Sudans-key-Red-Sea-ports-coveted-by-regional-powers%26source%3D30 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]