Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan struck a defiant tone on Wednesday following a drone strike at an army base he was visiting in eastern Sudan. This incident casts doubt on recent efforts to end the 15-month civil war.
The army reported that the attack occurred during a graduation ceremony at the Gibeit army base, approximately 100 km (62 miles) from Port Sudan in Sudan’s Red Sea state, resulting in five deaths. Witnesses confirmed that Burhan was at the base during the drone strike. Official sources stated he remained in the area and returned to address the troops, contradicting earlier reports that he had left for Port Sudan.
An adviser to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army’s rival in the conflict, denied responsibility for the strike. Burhan, whose foreign ministry had conditionally accepted a U.S. invitation to talks in August, told soldiers after the strike, “We will not retreat, we will not give up, and we will not negotiate with any entity.”
“We do not fear drones, we only die when God has planned,” said Burhan, dressed in combat attire. Footage shared by the military, reportedly filmed in Gibeit after the ceremony, showed Burhan being mobbed by cheering civilians, chanting “one army, one people.”
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. The RSF has not commented on these strikes.
A video shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed soldiers marching in a graduation ceremony before a whirring sound and an explosion. Another video showed a cloud of dust and scores of people running. “We heard sounds of explosions all of a sudden and everyone ran scared,” said one eyewitness, noting that many families of graduating officers were present.
