Drone strike targets eastern Sudanese base during visit by army chief - witnesses

DUBAI: A drone strike targeted an eastern Sudanese army base during a visit by the army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, eyewitnesses told Reuters on Wednesday, casting doubt over 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.
Videos shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed soldiers marching in graduation exercises. A whirring sound could be heard followed by the sound of an explosion. Another video shows a cloud of dust and scores of people running.
Burhan was safe in Port Sudan, government officials said.
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.
War broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army in April 2023 over plans to integrate the two forces.
The conflict has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis, has pushed half the population into food insecurity and more than 10 million out of their homes.
The RSF has not claimed responsibility for any of the recent drone strikes.
The latest strike came after the army-aligned foreign ministry conditionally accepted a US invitation to talks in Switzerland in August. The RSF responded to the ministry's statement saying it would only negotiate with the army and not the Islamists who make up a large part of the civil service.
Expansion
In recent weeks, the RSF has renewed its efforts to capture more territory, and has staged incursions into the southeastern state of Sennar, displacing more than 165,000 people, as well as White Nile and al-Gedaref states.
Last year, it swiftly took control of the capital Khartoum, followed by most of the Darfur region and El Gezira state, though a stalemate persists around the city of al-Fashir, one of 14 sites in Sudan where experts warn of famine.
Previous efforts to mediate the conflict have not resulted in a lasting ceasefire, and many Sudanese consider the talks in Switzerland as the best opportunity to secure an end to the war.
The talks are co-sponsored by Saudi Arabia and are to include Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which the army and others have said is supporting the RSF, in particular with weaponry such as drones. The UAE denies the accusation.