Putin Dealt Double Blow in Africa After Syria Retreat
Source: Newsweek
Published Dec 23, 2024 at 5:49 AM EST | Updated Dec 23, 2024 at 11:57 AM EST
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Two of Vladimir Putin's key allies in Africa are pushing back against the presence of Russian forces in their countries, further threatening Moscow's foothold on the continent following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
Sudan has officially rejected a Russian request to construct a naval base on the Red Sea coast in Port Sudan, Amsterdam-based independent outlet The Moscow Times reported on December 18, citing a Sudanese intelligence official. Russia reportedly offered Sudanese authorities a S-400 anti-aircraft missile system in an attempt to sway them into agreement, but fears over Western backlash caused the country to deny Moscow's request.
This was followed by Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh stating that he would resist any efforts by Russia to strengthen its military presence in the country.
"No patriotic person accepts the entry of a foreign country and imposing its hegemony, and we will not accept the entry of any foreign force except through official agreements and for the purpose of training. Any party that enters Libya without permission or agreement will be fought, and we cannot accept Libya being an international battlefield," Dbeibeh said during a conference in Tripoli. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-africa-defeat-assad-syria-sudan-libya-2004991
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