By Sudan’s military leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has survived an assassination attempt, according to army spokesman Nabil Abdallah in a statement to the BBC. The attack, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), involved two drones striking an army graduation ceremony at a base in Jabait in eastern Sudan.
The drone strikes killed five people at the ceremony, which took place in territory under military control. The RSF, which has been in conflict with the army for the last 16 months over control of the country, has not commented on the attack.
This incident comes after Gen Burhan’s government agreed to conditionally join the RSF at US-mediated peace talks next month. Previous attempts to end the conflict, which has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, have failed as both sides have refused to honor their commitments.
The ongoing conflict has forced more than 10 million people to flee their homes since the former allies fell out over an internationally backed political plan to move towards civilian rule.
Video footage from the ceremony shows military graduates marching in ceremonial dress before the sound of a strike is heard. Gen Abdallah told the BBC, “The only party that is hostile to the Sudanese people and targeting the Sudanese people is the rebel Rapid Support Forces.” He expressed gratitude that Gen Burhan and “all the commanders present are fine” and that there are not many major injuries.
The area where the attack occurred, between the mountains and the Red Sea coast, is home to the Beja people, who have historically had a tense relationship with those in power, often feeling ignored and marginalized. Despite some resentments about rising living costs in Port Sudan due to the influx of people fleeing Khartoum, these communities are generally supportive of Gen Burhan.
Both the army and RSF have access to drones, which have been widely used by both sides in the conflict. Some analysts have pointed to previous incidents of drone strikes targeting different factions within the military, while others suggest that the RSF has been increasingly using drones to target army-controlled areas.
According to Reuters, the RSF currently controls eight of Sudan’s 18 state capitals, including Khartoum, and is expanding further into the south-east of the country.
The Sudanese foreign affairs ministry has requested a meeting with US officials ahead of the peace talks scheduled to start in Geneva on August 14. The RSF had previously accepted the US invitation soon after it was proposed last week.
Source: bbc.com
