Drone Strike Shakes Sudanese Army Base Amid High-Level Visit

A drone strike hit an eastern Sudanese army base during a visit by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, casting doubt on peace efforts in the 15-month civil war. The strike, which killed five, occurred at a graduation ceremony in Gibet. The Rapid Support Forces did not claim responsibility.

A drone strike hit an eastern Sudanese army base during a visit by the army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Tuesday, eyewitnesses told Reuters on Wednesday. The incident casts doubt over recent efforts to end the 15-month civil war.

The army stated that the attack occurred during a graduation ceremony at the Gibet army base, about 100 km from Port Sudan, the army's de facto capital. Five people were killed in the strike, the latest in a series of attacks on army locations, and the closest to Port Sudan.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the army's rival, has not claimed responsibility for any recent attacks, including Tuesday's incident. The strike happened a day after the army-aligned foreign ministry accepted a U.S. invitation to talks in Switzerland. The RSF responded that it would negotiate only with the army, not the Islamists within the civil service.