SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: DW - Sudan: Cold shoulder for UN, warm embrace for Russia
DW report on the closer ties between Sudan and Russia, noting that gold makes up around 45% of Sudan’s total exports, varying between 26 and 30 tons per year, amid an increase of unregistered gold exports to Russia in private airplanes as it “Sudanese gold helps Russia ease the effects of Ukraine-related international sanctions”.
Following a visit to Moscow by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander-in-chief Himedti on the day of Russia’s attack of Ukraine, Theodore Murphy, Africa director at the European Council on Foreign Relations said Himedti "has been courting the Russians most aggressively and they have been responding very positively”.
Murphy added that army commander-in-chief Abdulfattah al-Burhan fears “being outflanked” by Himedti and “would be open to working with the Kremlin,” leaving
civil society as the only "true protection against Russian influence in Sudan, because their ideology is completely opposed to any kind of role for Russia”.