Russian mercenaries face dilemma as Sudan's civil war threatens Moscow's interests

Russian paramilitary Wagner Group has built a close relationship with Sudan’s security forces, with Moscow seeking to exploit these connections to advance its economic and military interests, according to Washington Post.

The country’s collapse could be a major setback for Russia’s prospects of a strategic naval base on the Red Sea at Port Sudan, which it has discussed with Sudan’s leaders.

Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin, Wagner’s founder, said the group had no contact with either of the two warring leaders and had not been present in Sudan for two years, while offering to mediate the Sudanese crisis. No confirmed reports suggest Wagner personnel are directly involved in the conflict.