On July 30, 2024, the ''de facto'' ruler of

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and concurrent chairman of its

Transitional Sovereignty Council The Transitional Sovereignty Council ( ar, مجلس السيادة الإنتقالي) is the collective head of state of Sudan, formed on 20 August 2019, by the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration. It was dissolved by Chairman Abde ...

and head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was targeted in an assassination attempt using drones at a military graduation ceremony in Jubayt, Red Sea State in eastern Sudan. He survived.

Background

On April 15, 2023, Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched attacks against al-Burhan's government, triggering a civil war. Al-Burhan was pinned down at SAF headquarters in the capital Khartoum until August 2023, when an SAF operation enabled him to evacuate to Port Sudan, where he has been based since then.

Attack

al-Burhan was attending a ceremony at a military base in Jubayt, Red Sea State. Two drones struck the facility after the ceremony ended, killing five people and injuring several others. The dead consisted of two of al-Burhan's bodyguards and three military cadets. al-Burhan, believed to be the main target, survived and was evacuated. According to SAF spokesperson Nabil Abdallah, he was unharmed. The assassination attempt was carried out a day after the Sudanese foreign ministry announced that it would participate in talks with the RSF in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

in August. The RSF claimed that they are open to negotiations with the junta but not with Islamists being part of the civil service.

Responsibility

The SAF blamed the RSF for the attack, but the latter denied responsibility and blamed Islamists, particularly the El Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade as part of infighting between the SAF and its allies. The SAF later said that it had determined the exact location from where the drones were launched.

Aftermath

Following the attempted assassination, al-Burhan addressed the audience at the ceremony, saying that he ruled out negotiations with the RSF and that "We will not retreat, we will not surrender, and we will not negotiate."

References

2024 building bombings July 2024 crimes in Africa July 2024 events in Sudan Failed assassination attempts in Africa Political history of Sudan Sudanese civil war (2023–present) Red Sea State {{Sudan-stub