Sudan: Criticism Mounts Over Sudan-Türkiye Suakin Gas Terminal Memo

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Dabanga report dated 22 July 2026, reports that a memorandum of understanding between Sudan’s Sea Ports Corporation and Türkiye’s Argaz Group to develop a specialised gas terminal at Suakin has prompted public criticism. The proposed facility, on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, would be the country’s first dedicated gas terminal and would have storage capacity of 28,000 cubic metres, according to Sea Ports Corporation director-general El Gilani Mohamed.

The report centres on objections raised by Dr Adel Ibrahim, a former energy minister in the transitional government of Abdalla Hamdok. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Ibrahim questioned why the project was not opened to competitive bidding by qualified international firms. He argued that Turkish companies may have port and berth construction experience, but that this does not automatically establish expertise in complete gas terminal projects.

Ibrahim described the Suakin proposal as strategically important but said similar ideas have appeared before and stalled amid political shifts. He said the deal appears to remain at the memorandum stage, leaving unanswered questions about feasibility studies, site selection, design work, financing and engineering requirements. He also raised concern over what he said was the Sudanese army’s continuing control of gas projects through the Military Industry Corporation, citing an earlier decree from the Omar Al Bashir era and disputes during the Hamdok period.

The debate matters because gas import, storage and terminal infrastructure could affect Sudan’s electricity generation and industrial supply. Ibrahim said any such project should be tied to a national energy plan and handled through transparent legal procedures. Dabanga reports that he linked the controversy to broader mistrust of project management by the Port Sudan-based authorities during Sudan’s ongoing instability.