Sudan: Prime Minister survives assassination attempt in Khartoum

Reuters | Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survived an assassination attempt targeting his convoy as he headed to work on Monday morning in the capital Khartoum, officials said.

Hamdok said he was in “good shape” and that what had happened would be “an additional push to the wheel of change in Sudan”, where he heads a transitional government following the removal last year of long-time President Omar al-Bashir.

Hamdok’s government is struggling to manage a severe economic crisis that triggered months of protests against Bashir and continued after his downfall in April.

Three witnesses told reporters the attack happened near the northern entrance to the Kober bridge, which crosses the Blue Nile from Khartoum North to the city center, where Hamdok’s office is located.

The convoy appeared to have been targeted from above, they said. State radio said it had been hit by gunfire and a projectile, while state television said it had been targeted by a car bomb.

Large crowds of onlookers gathered as police tried to secure the site. One member of Hamdok’s entourage suffered light injuries, a government statement said.

An investigation was launched into who was behind the attack, said Information Minister Faisal Salih. “Terrorist attempts and dismantling the old regime will be dealt with decisively. What happened not only targeted the prime minister himself but targeted the Sudanese revolution.”

Hamdok leads a government of technocrats under a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilian groups for a transitional period due to last until late 2022.

Hamdok is an economist and former senior United Nations official who is well connected with the international community.