A drone strike targeted an eastern Sudanese army base (SAF) during a visit by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, eyewitnesses reported on Wednesday.
According to a statement from al-Burhan’s forces, the attack occurred during a graduation ceremony at the Gibeit army base, about 100 km (62 miles) from the army’s de facto capital, Port Sudan, in Sudan’s Red Sea state. The strike resulted in five fatalities.
Videos shared on social media and verified by media show soldiers marching in graduation exercises, followed by the sound of a whirring drone and an explosion. Another video depicts a cloud of dust and scores of people running. Officials confirmed that Burhan was safe in Port Sudan.
The drone attack is the latest in a series of strikes on army locations in recent months and the closest to Port Sudan. In the past two days, drone strikes have hit Kosti, Rabak, and Kenana in Sudan’s southern White Nile state, as well as al-Damer, north of the capital, according to locals.
A spokesperson for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied any involvement in the drone strike targeting the eastern Sudanese base.
War broke out between the RSF and al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023 over plans to integrate the two forces. The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, pushing half the population into food insecurity and displacing more than 10 million people. The RSF has not claimed responsibility for any recent drone strikes.
The latest strike came after the army-aligned foreign ministry conditionally accepted a U.S. invitation to talks in Switzerland in August. The RSF responded, stating it would only negotiate with the army and not the Islamists who constitute a significant portion of the civil service.
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified efforts to capture more territory, staging incursions into the southeastern state of Sennar, displacing more than 165,000 people, as well as White Nile and al-Gedaref states. Last year, the RSF swiftly took control of the capital Khartoum, most of the Darfur region, and El Gezira state, though a stalemate persists around the city of al-Fashir, one of 14 sites in Sudan where experts warn of famine.
Previous mediation efforts have not resulted in a lasting ceasefire, and many Sudanese consider the talks in Switzerland the best opportunity to end the war. Co-sponsored by Saudi Arabia, the talks are to include Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which the army and others accuse of supporting the RSF with weaponry, including drones. The UAE denies these accusations.