Mercenaries from a private Russian military company are now operating in Sudan, working with that country’s security services as they try to quash violent protests over the dire economic situation which have been taking place for the last two weeks.

Sudanese sources have confirmed that military personnel from Russia’s Wagner military company are now working in the East African country, the Sudan Tribune reported on Monday.

An anonymous source within the NISS confirmed to the Tribune that Wagner was working with Sudanese intelligence and security forces but refused to elaborate on the exact nature of the military and intelligence cooperation.

However, Sudanese opposition sources said the Russians were based in the capital Khartoum, where they are training special forces from NISS.

In late December, Sudanese activists released photos showing Russian fighters deployed in central Khartoum observing the anti-government protests that started on December 19.

The same mercenary outfit has been highly active in the Syrian and Ukrainian conflicts.

It was also seen operating last year in Western Darfur and on the border with neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) to protect the government of Faustin-Archange Touadéra and Russia’s mining industry in CAR.

President Omar Al Bashir has been pushing for consolidated military cooperation with the Russians in several areas.

During a visit to Moscow in July last year, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both leaders pledged to promote said military cooperation.

In an earlier meeting with Putin towards the end of 2017 in the Russian city of Sochi, Bashir offered to construct an airbase for Russia on the Red Sea coast and to purchase Russian weapons, including SU-30 fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles, from Moscow.

An exchange of military delegations between the two sides has also taken place in Moscow and Khartoum – the details of which remain confidential.

Dozens of protesters have been killed in Sudan’s ongoing protests and many more arrested and interrogated, including journalists and university lecturers, as public anger over what they see as the incompetence of the government escalates.

Sudan’s security forces have been accused by international rights groups, including Amnesty International, of brutality. Amnesty also disputes the lower death toll figures released by Khartoum, saying the real figures are much higher.

Undaunted by the crackdown, activists and political opponents have vowed to continue mass protests over the next few days as they call for Bashir to step down – something he has said he would not do.

– African News Agency (ANA)

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