French newspaper reveals Russian desire to return to Bab al-Mandab

SANAA, Nov. 12 (YPA) – A French  newspaper on Wednesday revealed Russian moves to the military presence on the shores of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, which could burden the war-riddled country for six years in international conflicts.

According to the French newspaper, L’Orient-Le., the Russian ambition to expand in the Middle East and specifically in the most important strategic region around the world goes back to the era of the Soviet Union, but described the ambition at the time as limited because of its association with a military agenda related to the world war and governed by political fluctuations in the region.

Russia is now counting on Yemen and Somaliland to be present in the region, which is packed with international military bases, the paper said, following Washington’s success in thwarting a 2013 Russian plan to build a military base in Djibouti by putting pressure on the authorities there.

According to the newspaper, Russia is keen to play an intermediary role between all Yemeni forces except al-Qaeda in order to prepare for a military presence on the shores of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the coming years, considering this as a strategic plan for Moscow.

E.M