Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, struck a defiant tone on Wednesday after a drone hit an army base he was visiting in eastern Sudan, casting doubt on recent efforts to bring an end to a 15-month civil war.
A statement by the army said the attack took place at a graduation ceremony at the Gibeit army base, about 100 km (62 miles) from the army’s de facto capital, Port Sudan, in Sudan’s Red Sea state, and that five people were killed.
Witnesses confirmed that Burhan was at the base when the drone struck on Wednesday morning. Official sources said he remained in the area and returned to the base to speak to troops, contradicting earlier reports that he had left for Port Sudan.
An adviser to the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army’s rival in the war, denied that the paramilitary force was responsible 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 that it says was filmed in Gibeit after the graduation ceremony showed Burhan being mobbed by cheering civilians, chanting “One army, one people.”
The drone attack is the latest in a string of such attacks on army locations in recent months, and the closest to Port Sudan.
Over the past two days, drone strikes have hit Kosti, Rabak, and Kenana in Sudan’s southern White Nile state, as well as al-Damer, to the north of the capital, according to locals.
The RSF has not commented on those strikes.
A video shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed soldiers marching in a graduation ceremony before a whirring sound is heard followed by the sound of an explosion. Another shows 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.
