Sudan’s military leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, according to a statement by army spokesman Nabil Abdallah.
The attack, which Abdallah attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), involved two drones striking an army graduation ceremony at a base in Jabait, killing five individuals.
This base, located in eastern Sudan, is under military control.
The RSF, through its legal adviser Mohamed al-Mukhtar, denied responsibility for the attack, suggesting instead that the drone strikes were the result of internal military disputes, specifically between different factions within the army.
The RSF had recently agreed to participate in US-mediated talks scheduled for next month, but this incident has cast doubt on those plans.
Despite the assassination attempt, Gen Burhan and other commanders were unharmed.
Gen Abdallah reiterated that the RSF remains hostile to the Sudanese people, though the RSF claims the strikes were due to internal army conflicts, hinting at possible infighting among Insurgents factions within the military.
The conflict between the army and the RSF, which has been ongoing for 16 months, has led to a humanitarian crisis, with over 10 million people displaced. Previous efforts to resolve the conflict have failed, as both sides have not adhered to their commitments.
The Jabait base, about 100km from Port Sudan, where Gen Burhan is based, was targeted during a ceremony on Wednesday, with video footage capturing the moments before the strike. This attack has heightened tensions, complicating efforts for peace talks scheduled in Geneva on August 14.
The ongoing conflict has seen both sides utilize drones extensively, with the army and RSF being the primary possessors of such technology. The Beja people, indigenous to the region, have often felt marginalized and have a complex relationship with the central power, generally supporting Gen Burhan despite economic hardships caused by the influx of displaced individuals to Port Sudan.
The RSF controls eight of Sudan’s 18 state capitals, including Khartoum, and continues to expand its influence in the southeast. The Sudanese foreign affairs ministry has sought a meeting with US officials ahead of the planned talks to address the escalating conflict.
