Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan's capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum. The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country. India has put two Indian Air Force aircrafts on standby in Jeddah to evacuate stranded Indians from violence-hit area.

Sudan Conflict: Foreign nations scramble to evacuate citizens as battles rage

As the fighting between the rival generals continues in Sudan various countries have started evacuating their diplomats and nationals from the country. France, Germany, Italy and Spain are among other countries who are also organising evacuations. There are some Indian nationals who are among 66 citizens of 12 nations who have been evacuated from Sudan.

Sudan Conflict: Diplomats and foreign nationals evacuated

The violent civil war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary forces has led to the death of more than 400 while 3,500 have been injured, the World Health Organization (WHO) informed on Friday.

The violent civil war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary forces has led to the death of more than 400 while 3,500 have been injured, the World Health Organization (WHO) informed on Friday. UNICEF added that at least nine children were among the dead and more than 50 had been wounded. "413 people have died and 3,551 people have been injured," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva. Earlier, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and World Food Programme (WFP) said that between 10,000 to 20,000 people had fled to the neighbouring country of Chad to seek refuge as the violence escalated. The data has been released as Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour “humanitarian truce” from 6:00 (local time), on Friday (April 21) coinciding with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. “The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr...to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families,” RSF wrote on its Twitter account. WATCH | US prepares troops for possible evacuation of embassy staff from Sudan × Army chief has not accepted ceasefire Meanwhile, Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has not yet indicated that his forces will be agreeing to the ceasefire announced. Burhan posted a message on Friday about Eid but refrained from talking about any ceasefire. "We mourn all the victims of my country and pray for the recovery of those injured and pray to God that this occasion of Eid returns in safety and peace," said the army chief, in a pre-recorded statement posted on Facebook. ALSO READ | RSF fighters agree to 72-hour ceasefire for Eid; thousands flee from Sudan to Chad According to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, as soon as the Eid celebrations began overnight, the forces of two rival generals engaged in intense street fights in the capital city of Khartoum. The fighting broke out on Saturday last week and since then has escalated only. The two warring factions were allies once as they seized power together in 2021. However, the proposed integration of RSF into the army did not sit well with the former. This led to a power struggle and has since metamorphosed into a full-blown civil war. Khartoum has witnessed the fiercest battles with the fighting spreading across the country as well. World leaders have called for an immediate end to violence but the two parties are unwilling to drop the weapons. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Over 400 killed, 3,500 injured as Sudanese Army and paramilitary forces continue fighting: WHO

Thousands of residents fled from Sudan's capital, where witnesses reported bodies in the streets. The rapid support forces said they would fully commit to a complete ceasefire for 24 hours, as did the army. But gunfire continued in Khartoum from the appointed time and into Wednesday night. The Sudanese army said 177 Egyptian soldiers who had been captured by the rapid support forces were evacuated on 4 Egyptian military transport planes. Japan said its defence ministry had begun the necessary preparations to evacuate around 60 of its nationals, including embassy staff. Berlin reportedly aborted an evacuation attempt involving three military transport planes, which would have carried 150 citizens. The US Embassy in Khartoum said it started gathering citizens' personal details. The defence minister in Chad, which borders Sudan's Darfur region, said around 320 Sudanese soldiers had fled over the border in fear of the rapid support forces.

Sudan Conflict: Germany aborts evacuation attempt, U.S. embassy gathering citizens' data | Details

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all latest news and top headlines from all across the globe - Here we bring you a quick round-up of all latest news and top headlines from all across the globe - A new attempt at a ceasefire in fierce fighting between Sudanese troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum failed on Wednesday.

A new ceasefire in Sudan fails: At least 270 killed, more than 2,600 injured | WION Speed News

Sudan's rival generals on Wednesday made a new attempt at a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire after a failed truce the night before. But it failed again, leaving people fearful about dwindling food supplies and a breakdown in medical services.

Sudan Conflict: New ceasefire attempt fails with vital supplies running short

Explosions and heavy gunfire shattered a 24-hour truce deal in Sudan shortly after it was due to take effect under US pressure on warring military factions to pause fighting that has touched off a humanitarian crisis.

The Sudan conflict has seen airstrikes, artillery and heavy gunfire

Months of political and economic turmoil in Sudan has severely damaged the health of the lions faced with shortages of food and medicine. Lions, victims of the political upheaval in Sudan, are starving.&nbsp;

Last week, WION did a special report to show how weak and wasted, malnourished the king of the jungle looks in Sudan.&nbsp;

After the special coverage by Wion and some online campaigns, there's new hope for the big cats at Al-Qurashi park zoo in Khartoum.

The online campaign with the hashtag #sudananimalrescue , was launched by Sudanese activist Osman Salih.&nbsp;

The images of the feeble cats created a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/social-media-in-uproar-after-emaciated-african-lion-images-go-viral-275561">stir on social media</a>. Following which a global welfare organisation - Four Paws, arrived to assess the condition of the lions. However, it was too late for one of the lions who recently died due to dehydration and lack of food. 
 
WATCH:&nbsp;

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The animals lost as much as two-thirds of their body weight after going unfed for weeks as Sudan's chronic cash shortage hit donations. People abroad who tried to donate via crowdfunding sites were thwarted by us sanctions on Sudan.

The Four Paws team said they will have to find a long-term solution to improve the condition of the lions and also train the zoo staff.&nbsp;

African lions are classified as a 'vulnerable' species by the international union for conservation of nature which explains why Four Paws intends to visit other zoos in Khartoum as well.

Some locals concerned about the fate of the lions have been flocking to help, bringing food and medical items.&nbsp;

It seems that&nbsp;with international animal activists steeping in, the big cats have found a lifeline. 
&nbsp;

Months of political and economic turmoil in Sudan has severely damaged the health of the lions faced with shortages of food and medicine. Lions, victims of the political upheaval in Sudan, are starving.

Months of political and economic turmoil in Sudan has severely damaged the health of the lions faced with shortages of food and medicine. Lions, victims of the political upheaval in Sudan, are starving. Last week, WION did a special report to show how weak and wasted, malnourished the king of the jungle looks in Sudan. After the special coverage by Wion and some online campaigns, there's new hope for the big cats at Al-Qurashi park zoo in Khartoum. The online campaign with the hashtag #sudananimalrescue , was launched by Sudanese activist Osman Salih. The images of the feeble cats created a stir on social media. Following which a global welfare organisation - Four Paws, arrived to assess the condition of the lions. However, it was too late for one of the lions who recently died due to dehydration and lack of food. WATCH: × The animals lost as much as two-thirds of their body weight after going unfed for weeks as Sudan's chronic cash shortage hit donations. People abroad who tried to donate via crowdfunding sites were thwarted by us sanctions on Sudan. The Four Paws team said they will have to find a long-term solution to improve the condition of the lions and also train the zoo staff. African lions are classified as a 'vulnerable' species by the international union for conservation of nature which explains why Four Paws intends to visit other zoos in Khartoum as well. Some locals concerned about the fate of the lions have been flocking to help, bringing food and medical items. It seems that with international animal activists steeping in, the big cats have found a lifeline.

How social media saved Sudan's starving lions

Sudan's ex-president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ousted-sudan-president-omar-al-bashir-to-be-sent-for-trial-soon-prosecutor-says-227709">Omar al-Bashir</a> was charged with corruption-related offences on Sunday, as he appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown and detained in April.

Looking much the same as prior to his removal by the military, he was driven to the prosecutor's office in Khartoum.

He was charged with illicit possession of foreign currency and accepting gifts in an unofficial manner, prosecutor Alaa al-Din Abdallah told media, adding that Bashir would be given the chance to respond to the accusations.

His trial will be a test of how serious the country's transitional military council is about trying to erase the legacy of his autocratic 30-year rule, marked by widespread violence, economic collapse and the secession of South Sudan.

Bashir was charged last month with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters, and prosecutors also want him questioned over suspected money laundering and terrorism financing.

Sudan's chief prosecutor said on Saturday that 41 former officials from Bashir's administration were being investigated for suspected graft.

Political paralysis

The military overthrew and detained Bashir on April 11 after 16 weeks of street protests against his rule.

But despite his ouster, Sudan remains paralysed by a political standoff between a transitional military council and a coalition of protesters and opposition parties demanding a civilian-led administration during a planned transition to democracy.

Talks on a power-sharing deal have collapsed, and tensions soared on June 3 when security forces stormed a protest camp in Khartoum being maintained as a way to press military rulers to hand over power.

Protesters put the number of dead from the incursion at 128, and the health ministry at 61.

Military investigators on Saturday said that government officers of various ranks were found to have been responsible for the dispersal of the camp without approval.

Addressing supporters at the presidential palace, the deputy head of the military council said on Sunday it was ready to accept nominees for top government positions proposed by the coalition.

"We are actually not in dispute and we are partners in this glorious revolution," General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said. "They say a technocratic government and we are ready".

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir was charged with corruption-related offences on Sunday, as he appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown and detained in April.

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir was charged with corruption-related offences on Sunday, as he appeared in public for the first time since he was overthrown and detained in April. Looking much the same as prior to his removal by the military, he was driven to the prosecutor's office in Khartoum. He was charged with illicit possession of foreign currency and accepting gifts in an unofficial manner, prosecutor Alaa al-Din Abdallah told media, adding that Bashir would be given the chance to respond to the accusations. His trial will be a test of how serious the country's transitional military council is about trying to erase the legacy of his autocratic 30-year rule, marked by widespread violence, economic collapse and the secession of South Sudan. Bashir was charged last month with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters, and prosecutors also want him questioned over suspected money laundering and terrorism financing. Sudan's chief prosecutor said on Saturday that 41 former officials from Bashir's administration were being investigated for suspected graft. Political paralysis The military overthrew and detained Bashir on April 11 after 16 weeks of street protests against his rule. But despite his ouster, Sudan remains paralysed by a political standoff between a transitional military council and a coalition of protesters and opposition parties demanding a civilian-led administration during a planned transition to democracy. Talks on a power-sharing deal have collapsed, and tensions soared on June 3 when security forces stormed a protest camp in Khartoum being maintained as a way to press military rulers to hand over power. Protesters put the number of dead from the incursion at 128, and the health ministry at 61. Military investigators on Saturday said that government officers of various ranks were found to have been responsible for the dispersal of the camp without approval. Addressing supporters at the presidential palace, the deputy head of the military council said on Sunday it was ready to accept nominees for top government positions proposed by the coalition. "We are actually not in dispute and we are partners in this glorious revolution," General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said. "They say a technocratic government and we are ready".

Sudan's Bashir charged with corruption, in first appearance since April

Ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir will appear in court next week to face charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency, the country's acting prosecutor general told reporters on Saturday.

The announcement came more than two months after the military overthrew Bashir on April 11 following months of nationwide protests against his 30-year iron-fisted rule.

Bashir "will appear in court next week following charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency," Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed said, without specifying the day.

He added that the investigation launched against Bashir for the charges had been completed.

On Thursday, an unnamed Sudanese official was quoted by the official SUNA news agency as saying Bashir was facing charges including "possessing foreign funds, acquiring suspected and illegal wealth and ordering (the state of) emergency".

In April, Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said that more than $113 million worth of cash in three currencies had been seized from Bashir's residence.

He said a team of police, army and security agents found seven million euros ($7.8 million), $350,000 and five billion Sudanese pounds ($105 million).&nbsp;

Bashir swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.&nbsp;

Sudan suffered high rates of corruption during his rule, ranking 172 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Last month, Ahmed ordered Bashir questioned over money-laundering and "financing terrorism".

In an effort to quell protests that erupted against his rule in December, Bashir imposed a nationwide state of emergency on February 22.

In May, the prosecutor general said that Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during those anti-regime demonstrations, which eventually led to his ouster.

Ahmed also said on Saturday that 41 other charges against "symbols of the ousted regime" were under investigation.&nbsp;

He did not name the others accused but said most of the charges were related to the "possession of land".

Ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir will appear in court next week to face charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency, the country's acting prosecutor general told reporters on Saturday.

Ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir will appear in court next week to face charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency, the country's acting prosecutor general told reporters on Saturday. The announcement came more than two months after the military overthrew Bashir on April 11 following months of nationwide protests against his 30-year iron-fisted rule. Bashir "will appear in court next week following charges of corruption and possessing foreign currency," Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed said, without specifying the day. He added that the investigation launched against Bashir for the charges had been completed. On Thursday, an unnamed Sudanese official was quoted by the official SUNA news agency as saying Bashir was facing charges including "possessing foreign funds, acquiring suspected and illegal wealth and ordering (the state of) emergency". In April, Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said that more than $113 million worth of cash in three currencies had been seized from Bashir's residence. He said a team of police, army and security agents found seven million euros ($7.8 million), $350,000 and five billion Sudanese pounds ($105 million). Bashir swept to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989. Sudan suffered high rates of corruption during his rule, ranking 172 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index. Last month, Ahmed ordered Bashir questioned over money-laundering and "financing terrorism". In an effort to quell protests that erupted against his rule in December, Bashir imposed a nationwide state of emergency on February 22. In May, the prosecutor general said that Bashir had been charged over the killings of protesters during those anti-regime demonstrations, which eventually led to his ouster. Ahmed also said on Saturday that 41 other charges against "symbols of the ousted regime" were under investigation. He did not name the others accused but said most of the charges were related to the "possession of land".

Sudan's Bashir to appear in court on graft charge: Prosecutor

Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle.

Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season.

The passing of centuries seems to have changed little in the ebb and flow of life for herders in remote<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bush-fire-guts-four-villages-in-south-sudan-kills-33-216665"> South Sudan</a>, whose cattle serve as a bank account and play a core role in every aspect of life.

There has, however, been one devastating shift.

Instead of their traditional spears, cowherds now carry automatic rifles that have transformed cattle raids, a generations-old phenomenon, into massacres that have unleashed brutal cycles of vengeance.

"It is good to have a weapon because it helps you to protect the cattle," said Puk Duoth, 25, a header from a camp outside the northeastern village of Udier.

While South Sudan's elites signed a power-sharing truce in September 2018, cattle raids have worsened, highlighting the herculean task required to resolve local conflicts in a society shattered by war.&nbsp;

According to the UN peacekeeping mission UNMISS, 218 members of herder communities were killed in January in tit-for-tat attacks -- almost three times the toll of 73 in the four months from October 2017 to January 2018.&nbsp;

Observers blame a deadly cocktail of factors for the rising body count: a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn nation, an influx of guns and inflation in the bride price -- paid in cattle.

Cash cows&nbsp;

In these parts, cows are everything.

In the culture of the Nuer and Dinka peoples -- South Sudan's largest herder communities -- boys are named after a favoured bull, and songs are written to glorify the long-horned beasts.

"If you are sick, then the cow can be sold and the money used for treatment," says Beny Chuer, a Dinka chief from Amazing camp outside the central city of Rumbek -- one of the areas worst affected by raids and revenge killings.

"If a mother dies leaving a small baby, that child will live because a cow will be milked to feed it."

Cattle is currency -- each head worth about $500 (440 euros). The more a man owns, the more admiration he garners.

"If you are sitting in a community meeting and you are talking rubbish, but people know you have many cows, you will be honoured," said Peter Machar, of the NGO Saferworld working on local conflicts.

In his 1940 study of the Nuer people, British anthropologist Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard found this single-minded preoccupation frustrating in his research efforts.

"I used sometimes to despair that I never discussed anything with the young men but livestock and girls and even the subject of girls led inevitably to that of cattle," he wrote.

&nbsp;Costly brides, rampant guns&nbsp;

"For us, a cow is the source of money," said chief Chuer, well over two metres (6 feet, 7 inches) tall -- a genetic legacy perhaps of tall women being viewed as more valuable in herder communities.

He boasts that his tallest daughter earned him a whopping 250 cows.

This is part of the cause of conflict, said Peter Machar's colleague Majok Mon, his own first name a Dinka word for the markings on a bull.

Bride prices soared as donor money poured into the country after independence from Sudan, allowing politicians, military men and the well-connected to enrich themselves and "get a lot of money" to pay for a wife, he said.

The average price went up from about 20 head of cattle to 100, in a country where the majority of people follow the tradition.

Suddenly, many young men could not afford to get married unless they raided cattle from other communities.

Guns flooded the country between the war for independence, achieved in 2011, and the internal conflict that erupted two years later as President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar fell out.

Both sides armed young herders and mobilised them to fight, said Peter Machar.

As any semblance of law and order collapsed, the warring also destroyed traditional systems, managed by tribal chiefs, for settling feuds.

"What brought the issue of cattle raids is the gun... if you don't have a gun, then you will be monitored slowly, slowly until you are shot and your cows were taken, but if you have your gun, then you can shoot" in defence, said Chuer.

Out of control&nbsp;

While fighting has stopped in most of the country as a result of the peace deal, this has changed nothing for herder groups nursing long-standing grievances unrelated to the national tug of war for power.

And with the attention elsewhere, armed herders are launching increasingly deadly military-style attacks on rival camps, with women and children among the victims.

The reality in these remote communities "is very far from what is happening with the elites in Juba," United Nations special envoy David Shearer told AFP.

A report on the "militarisation" of cattle raiding in South Sudan, published last year in the Journal of International Humanitarian Action, warned that leaders like Kiir and Riek Machar, "has undermined the traditional mechanisms that once governed violence in order to further their individual political interests, no longer have control over these raiders either."

All these factors bode ill for prospects of peace in a country whose youth has known nothing but conflict.

Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle. Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season.

Weak rays of early morning sun seep through the smoke rising from smouldering piles of dried dung, keeping flies away from the precious cattle. Children instinctively reach down for the white ash, a natural mosquito repellent, and rub it on their skin as women set to milking and men prepare for a long day seeking pasture at the peak of the dry season. The passing of centuries seems to have changed little in the ebb and flow of life for herders in remote South Sudan, whose cattle serve as a bank account and play a core role in every aspect of life. There has, however, been one devastating shift. Instead of their traditional spears, cowherds now carry automatic rifles that have transformed cattle raids, a generations-old phenomenon, into massacres that have unleashed brutal cycles of vengeance. "It is good to have a weapon because it helps you to protect the cattle," said Puk Duoth, 25, a header from a camp outside the northeastern village of Udier. While South Sudan's elites signed a power-sharing truce in September 2018, cattle raids have worsened, highlighting the herculean task required to resolve local conflicts in a society shattered by war. According to the UN peacekeeping mission UNMISS, 218 members of herder communities were killed in January in tit-for-tat attacks -- almost three times the toll of 73 in the four months from October 2017 to January 2018. Observers blame a deadly cocktail of factors for the rising body count: a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn nation, an influx of guns and inflation in the bride price -- paid in cattle. Cash cows In these parts, cows are everything. In the culture of the Nuer and Dinka peoples -- South Sudan's largest herder communities -- boys are named after a favoured bull, and songs are written to glorify the long-horned beasts. "If you are sick, then the cow can be sold and the money used for treatment," says Beny Chuer, a Dinka chief from Amazing camp outside the central city of Rumbek -- one of the areas worst affected by raids and revenge killings. "If a mother dies leaving a small baby, that child will live because a cow will be milked to feed it." Cattle is currency -- each head worth about $500 (440 euros). The more a man owns, the more admiration he garners. "If you are sitting in a community meeting and you are talking rubbish, but people know you have many cows, you will be honoured," said Peter Machar, of the NGO Saferworld working on local conflicts. In his 1940 study of the Nuer people, British anthropologist Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard found this single-minded preoccupation frustrating in his research efforts. "I used sometimes to despair that I never discussed anything with the young men but livestock and girls and even the subject of girls led inevitably to that of cattle," he wrote. Costly brides, rampant guns "For us, a cow is the source of money," said chief Chuer, well over two metres (6 feet, 7 inches) tall -- a genetic legacy perhaps of tall women being viewed as more valuable in herder communities. He boasts that his tallest daughter earned him a whopping 250 cows. This is part of the cause of conflict, said Peter Machar's colleague Majok Mon, his own first name a Dinka word for the markings on a bull. Bride prices soared as donor money poured into the country after independence from Sudan, allowing politicians, military men and the well-connected to enrich themselves and "get a lot of money" to pay for a wife, he said. The average price went up from about 20 head of cattle to 100, in a country where the majority of people follow the tradition. Suddenly, many young men could not afford to get married unless they raided cattle from other communities. Guns flooded the country between the war for independence, achieved in 2011, and the internal conflict that erupted two years later as President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar fell out. Both sides armed young herders and mobilised them to fight, said Peter Machar. As any semblance of law and order collapsed, the warring also destroyed traditional systems, managed by tribal chiefs, for settling feuds. "What brought the issue of cattle raids is the gun... if you don't have a gun, then you will be monitored slowly, slowly until you are shot and your cows were taken, but if you have your gun, then you can shoot" in defence, said Chuer. Out of control While fighting has stopped in most of the country as a result of the peace deal, this has changed nothing for herder groups nursing long-standing grievances unrelated to the national tug of war for power. And with the attention elsewhere, armed herders are launching increasingly deadly military-style attacks on rival camps, with women and children among the victims. The reality in these remote communities "is very far from what is happening with the elites in Juba," United Nations special envoy David Shearer told AFP. A report on the "militarisation" of cattle raiding in South Sudan, published last year in the Journal of International Humanitarian Action, warned that leaders like Kiir and Riek Machar, "has undermined the traditional mechanisms that once governed violence in order to further their individual political interests, no longer have control over these raiders either." All these factors bode ill for prospects of peace in a country whose youth has known nothing but conflict.

Money, guns and brides fuel South Sudan's cattle wars

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