Sudan’s military leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has survived an assassination attempt, according to the army spokesman.
Nabil Abdallah attributed the attack to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been in conflict with the army for the past 16 months over control of the country.
The spokesperson reported that two drones targeted an army graduation ceremony, resulting in the deaths of five individuals at a base in Jabait, an area under military control. The RSF has yet to comment on the incident, which follows the recent agreement by Gen Burhan’s government to conditionally participate in US-mediated peace talks next month.
Previous efforts to resolve the conflict, which has caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, have failed due to both sides failing to honor their commitments.
Over 10 million people have been displaced since the former allies split over a globally supported plan for civilian rule. The Jabait army base, located about 100 km (62 miles) from Port Sudan, the military’s de facto capital and Gen Burhan’s base, was targeted during a graduation ceremony on Wednesday morning.
Video footage from the event shows military graduates in ceremonial dress before the impact of the strike. Gen Abdallah stated that the only group hostile to the Sudanese people is the rebel Rapid Support Forces, expressing relief that Gen Burhan and the other commanders present were unharmed and that there were few major injuries.
