The Sudanese army reports that a high-ranking commander has escaped an assassination attempt unscathed.
During a graduation ceremony at an eastern military base, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan became the target of drone strikes.
According to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), a military graduation ceremony in eastern Sudan resulted in five fatalities due to strikes. The event was attended by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is both the de facto leader and army chief of the war-torn African nation; however, he managed to survive despite being targeted during this attack.
The army reported that its base in Gebeit was attacked by two drone strikes after a graduation ceremony for military, airforce and navy college students. The statement mentioned the occurrence of minor injuries amongst some individuals.
A video captured on social media depicts numerous individuals frantically fleeing in response to the sound of an explosion during a soldier procession near Port Sudan, which serves as the army’s unofficial headquarters situated within Red Sea State.
Since April 2023, a severe armed conflict has engulfed the state in northeastern Africa. The dispute commenced when Burhan, commander of SAF, engaged Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, head of paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in violence.
It is said that the RSF has taken control of eight out of Sudan’s 18 state capitals, including Khartoum which serves as the main capital.
According to the UN, Sudan is currently grappling with a colossal humanitarian crisis which has led to almost 11 million people being internally displaced and over half of its population suffering from severe hunger due to the 15-month long conflict.
Partners cited by the UN’s humanitarian affairs office have reported that over 18,000 individuals have lost their lives and several thousand others sustained injuries in the continuing hostilities.
The most recent of several attacks on army sites occurred Wednesday, happening shortly after paramilitary leader Daglo’s acceptance to participate in ceasefire negotiations mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia set for next month in Switzerland.
Sudan’s government, which is aligned with the army, has announced that it will attend the Geneva peace talks on Tuesday. However, this acceptance comes with certain conditions attached to it.
According to a statement from the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, negotiations prior to complete withdrawal and cessation of expansion by the RSF have been deemed unacceptable by the people of Sudan.
Discussions at both local and global levels with the intent of bringing the war to an end have been dismissed by military leadership who refuse engagement with RSF. Recently, Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, deputized commander-in-chief for SAF has announced that they will be following through on Sudanese citizens’ wishes which prioritize disbanding RSF.
