Sudanese Army Chief Al-Burhan survives drone assassination attempt

LONDON -- Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Sudan's army chief, was the target of a drone attack that killed five people, officials said Wednesday.

Al-Burhan had been attending a ceremony for military graduates in Jebeit, a small town in eastern Sudan, when the strike took place.

In April 2023, a civil conflict broke out between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group following months of tensions linked to a planned transition to civilian rule. The conflict has led to at least 16,000 deaths, according to the United Nations. Local groups, however, warn the true toll is likely much higher.

"Today, our ground anti-aircraft missiles responded to two hostile marches that targeted the site of the celebration of the graduation of batches from the Military, Air and Naval Colleges after its conclusion in Jebeit," the Sudanese Army said in a statement.

At least five people were killed in Wednesday's drone attack, the Sudanese Army announced.

Army officials also said the incident led to "minor injuries."

The United States has invited warring parties to begin cease-fire talks in Switzerland next month.

"A few things have changed: One is the acuteness of the horrors, and two is the greater alignment across the region among our African and Gulf counterparts that this is an unacceptable situation, and that nobody wins from the continued destabilization," a senior U.S. official told ABC News last week.

In a statement, RSF chief Mohammed Daglo -- commonly known as Hemedti -- welcomed the talks, saying the RSF is "ready to deal with these talks constructively."

Al-Burhan said he is open to talks "only on the condition" that RSF and allied militias vacate civilian homes.

"We appreciate the initiatives from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. However, these efforts must be coordinated with the Sudanese government, and Sudan should be involved in every detail of the discussions, including the participants and the negotiation agenda," he said.

The RSF has yet to publicly comment on the drone attack.