Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, struck a defiant tone following a drone strike on an army base he was visiting in eastern Sudan. The attack has cast doubt on efforts to end the 15-month civil war.
Attack on Gibeit Army Base
The drone attack occurred during a graduation ceremony at the Gibeit army base, approximately 100 km from the army’s de facto capital, Port Sudan, in Red Sea state. The strike resulted in five fatalities. Witnesses confirmed Burhan’s presence at the base during the attack. Despite initial reports of his departure to Port Sudan, official sources stated that Burhan remained at the base to address the troops.
An adviser to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army’s adversary in the conflict, denied responsibility for the strike. Burhan, whose foreign ministry had conditionally accepted a U.S. invitation for peace talks in August, declared to the soldiers, “We will not retreat, we will not give up, and we will not negotiate with any entity.” He emphasized resilience, saying, “We do not fear drones, we only die when God has planned.”
Footage released by the military showed Burhan being greeted by cheering civilians after the ceremony, with chants of “one army, one people.”
Rising Tensions and Humanitarian Crisis
The drone strike is the latest in a series of attacks on army locations, with recent strikes hitting Kosti, Rabak, and Kenana in southern White Nile state, as well as al-Damer, north of the capital. The RSF has not commented on these attacks.
Video footage from the incident shows soldiers marching in a graduation ceremony before the explosion, causing panic among the attendees, including the families of graduating officers.
The conflict between the RSF and the regular army began in April 2023 over plans to integrate the two forces under a political transition towards elections. The war has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, pushing half the population into hunger and displacing over 10 million people.
An RSF official attributed the drone strike to Islamist elements, denying any involvement. The RSF reiterated its willingness to negotiate with the army but not with Islamist factions within the civil service. Burhan stressed the need for mediators to consult Sudan on topics and participants while respecting the government’s sovereignty. He emphasized that the war would not end as long as the enemy continued to harm civilians.
Prospects for Peace Talks
The RSF has recently intensified efforts to capture more territory, leading to incursions into Sennar, displacing over 165,000 people, and into White Nile and al-Gedaref states. Despite these advances, the RSF has maintained control over significant regions, including the capital Khartoum, most of Darfur, and El Gezira state.
Previous ceasefire attempts have failed, but many Sudanese view the upcoming talks in Switzerland as a significant opportunity to negotiate an end to the war. These talks are co-sponsored by Saudi Arabia and will include Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which the army has accused of supporting the RSF with weaponry, including drones. The UAE has denied these allegations.
The international community remains hopeful that the Geneva talks can pave the way for peace in Sudan. However, the defiant stance of both sides and the ongoing violence underscore the challenges ahead.
Source: Reuters
