Sudan drone attack kills five at army event attended by Al Burhan

Military commander was present at graduation ceremony during fatal strike in Gebeit, eastern Sudan

Wednesday's attack took place in Gebeit at a military graduation ceremony, Sudan's army said. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces

The Sudanese military said at least five people were killed on Wednesday after two drones struck a base in eastern Sudan at the end of a graduation ceremony attended by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

The attack took place in Gebeit towards the end of the graduation ceremony and Gen Al Burhan was there at the time of the attack, witnesses told The National.

Photos of the event shared by the Sudanese Armed Forces on X showed Gen Al Burhan congratulating the graduates.

Five people were killed and others injured, the army said.

On Wednesday evening, Gen Al Burhan attended a funeral for two of the officers killed, according to the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Sudan's current ruling body.

He is head of the military-led council that has governed the country since the 2021 Sudanese takeover.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent clashes in Sudan, which has been embroiled in a civil war since April 2023.

Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan shakes a graduate's hand at the ceremony in Gebeit shortly before Wednesday's attack. Photo: Sudanese Armed Forces

But it is the first such attack in Sudan's Red Sea province, home to many government ministries and foreign embassies, which has also served as an alternative capital since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began.

The RSF is a powerful paramilitary group that now controls most of the capital, Khartoum.

After the strike, Gen Al Burhan vowed to continue fighting against militia, saying the army would not lay down its weapons until the country was "cleansed" of all rebels and mercenaries, a TSC statement said.

The war has had devastating consequences for Sudan, with thousands killed, millions displaced and widespread destruction of infrastructure and property.

The international community has called for an end to the violence and for both sides to join a new round of US-brokered talks which is expected to be held in Switzerland later this month. But so far, lasting peace has eluded the country's warring factions.

Gen Al Burhan said that any peace negotiations must put the dignity and sovereignty of the Sudanese people first, and that the military would not negotiate with any party that did not recognise the government's authority.

The civil war has also had a devastating effect on the country's economy, with inflation soaring, and food and fuel shortages widespread.

The UN has estimated that more than 3 million people in Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance, with many more displaced or affected by the fighting.

Al Shafie Ahmed contributed to this report from Kampala, Uganda.