Sudan has intensified high-level diplomatic and military engagements with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, coinciding with a period of increased Saudi-Turkish coordination on Red Sea security. These developments underscore Sudan's strategic position and its partners' growing interest in regional maritime stability.
In Riyadh, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, to co-chair political consultations. The two nations also formalized the establishment of a Saudi-Sudanese Coordination Council, signaling a commitment to institutionalizing bilateral cooperation across various sectors. The official Saudi Press Agency reported pledges to deepen cooperation in multiple fields.
Concurrently, a senior Sudanese army official, Yasir Abdelrahman Hassan Elatta, visited Ankara as a guest of the Turkish Chief of General Staff, Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. Elatta held meetings with Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Bayraktaroglu, according to a statement from the Turkish Ministry of Defense. This visit follows a series of recent high-level interactions between Turkish officials and Sudan's army-led administration, including a meeting between Foreign Minister Salem and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in July, and a prior meeting between Sudanese Sovereignty Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June.
These diplomatic maneuvers occur against the backdrop of escalating conflict within Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Burhan, are engaged in a protracted fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis. President Erdogan recently reaffirmed his support for General Burhan, describing him as a "leader worthy of Sudan" in a recent interview.
The renewed diplomatic contacts and military engagements take place amid heightened RSF drone activity around Khartoum and intensified fighting in Kordofan. These clashes impact the strategic belt that separates SAF-controlled territories, including Khartoum and the crucial Red Sea port of Port Sudan, from the RSF's strongholds in Darfur. While the SAF has regained control of Khartoum and the Al Jazirah region, the RSF maintains significant influence in Darfur and parts of Kordofan.
Regionally, both Saudi Arabia and Turkey are deepening security collaboration in the Red Sea, a vital maritime artery increasingly threatened by Houthi actions and related risks to shipping and energy exports. Riyadh recently announced plans for a 14-nation maritime defense coalition, including Turkey and Sudan, aimed at securing the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Sudan's extensive Red Sea coastline positions it directly across from Saudi Arabia, making its role in this strategic route particularly significant.
