Sudanese Leader Ends Ceasefire Negotiations After Assassination Attempt

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese military government, earlier today survived an apparent assassination attempt that took place during a graduation ceremony that Burhan was attending in the east of the nation. Following the assassination attempt, which has not yet been claimed by any party, Burhan stated that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would not be negotiating with the the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), putting an end to peace talks that had only recently restarted..The Assassination Attempt.Burhan, earlier in the day on July 31st, was attending a graduation ceremony of Sudanese soldiers in Gibet army base, next to the town of Gibet. Gibet is approximately 100km from Port Sudan, which has operated as the de-facto capital of the Sudanese military government since Khartoum, Sudan's official capital, has been contested by the RSF since war broke out last year..Furthermore, Port Sudan, alongside a number of areas in the east, have gone comparatively untouched throughout the course of the war..Close to the conclusion of the ceremony, an array of suicide drones, at least five according to witnesses, attacked the ceremony. Two of the drones managed to strike in the centre of the ceremony, and one hit a nearby university building. Anti-aircraft weapons were deployed to shoot down the remaining drones..Burhan was able to escape unscathed, however, five people—four students and one army officer—were killed by the impact of the two drones..Wednesday's strike on Gibet is the closest such an attack has come to Port Sudan since the war began in April of 2023. The attack has yet to be claimed by any group, and reportedly army sources have stated they are not certain who is responsible..The End of Negotiations.From July 11th to July 19th, the UN hosted in Geneva, Switzerland indirect peace talks between the RSF and the SAF—the first of their kind since November—when talks being held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, broke down. The two sides never met face to face, only meeting with the UN Secretary General's personal envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, and his team..A few days after the talks concluded, the US State Department issued an invitation to the RSF and the SAF to once again attend ceasefire talks, again in Geneva, but this time co-hosted by the US and Saudi Arabia, with the UN, African Union, Egypt, and the UAE acting as observers..The RSF, and RSF leader Mohamed 'Hemedti' Hamdan Dagalo, quickly accepted the invitation. The SAF, however, expressed some apprehension to the talks. On July 30th, one day prior to the assassination attempt, Burhan outlined certain conditions that would need to be met if the SAF were to attend the talks, most of which mirrored previous conditions that the SAF had set..Burhan requested that the US hold consultations with the Sudanese government on both the agenda and participants of the talks, and that there should be direct talks between the US and the Sudanese government in preparation for the talks..Further, he reiterated prior preconditions, calling for the RSF to withdraw from urban areas and cease their expansion of territory.."Any negotiations before the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, which stipulates a comprehensive withdrawal and cessation of expansion, will not be acceptable to the Sudanese people." -An excerpt of a statement from the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Notably, these preconditions had been established for a number of months. Despite this, the SAF had still agreed to the talks in Geneva earlier this month..Burhan also protested the UAE's attendance at the talks. The UAE has been accused by Sudan of supplying the RSF, creating a significantly tense relationship between the two..On July 31st, following the assassination attempt, Burhan announced that Sudan would not be meeting with the RSF for any negotiations.."We will not lay down our arms until the country is cleansed of every rebel and mercenary. We are continuing to crush and eliminate the terrorist militia of the Dagalo family." -SAF leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.In turn, Burhan has called on all the international entities that had been putting effort into creating an end to the war, namely the UN, the US, and Saudi Arabia, to hold talks with Sudan on the issue, and to listen to the SAF's perspective on how to end the war..Addressing Special Envoy Lamamra specifically, Burhan urged him to not "adopt any vision of the rebels," in reference to the RSF..He further expressed willingness to participate in peace talks with civil groups and armed struggle movements, stating however, that any such talks must recognize the authority of the SAF over the nation and its territories. These talks would not involve the RSF..The SAF's resumed refusal to participate in talks is a severe blow to peace processes, that had taken several months to revive.