Air strikes continue to ring in Sudan as US pushes to extend ceasefire

Sudan was rocked by fresh violence on Thursday despite a United States-brokered ceasefire being in effect. The Sudanese army pounded paramilitaries in the capital Khartoum with air strikes on the 13th day of the conflict, while deadly fighting flared in Darfur. The three-day truce expires on Friday and the US and African nations are racing to secure an extension.

The army said late Wednesday that it had agreed to the IGAD proposal for talks in Juba on extending the truce by a further 72 hours. The RSF's response to the proposal remains unclear.

The military said the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti worked on a proposal that includes extending the truce and talks between the two forces.

"Burhan thanked the IGAD and expressed an initial approval to that," the army statement said.

Ever since the fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's regular army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his deputy-turned-rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, several efforts have been made to strike a truce. However, nothing has materialised.

The fighting has continued despite the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on Tuesday. Warplanes have been patrolling the skies over the capital's northern suburbs and artillery fire and heavy machine gun fire have continued on the ground, witnesses said.

The fighting in Sudan has left at least 512 people dead and injured 4,193, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely to be much higher.

An RSF statement has accused the army of attacking its forces on Thursday and spreading "false rumours".

Khartoum and the nearby cities of Omdurman and Bahri were rocked by the sounds of airstrikes, witnesses said. The fighting witnessed a lull during the three-day ceasefire, but it is due to expire at midnight.

Several countries have been working to evacuate their citizens from Sudan. However, many foreign nationals remain stuck despite the largest such exodus since the withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan in 2021. Meanwhile, Sudanese civilians are fleeing Khartoum as they struggle to find food, water and fuel.

Further, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed working together to create a sustainable end to the fighting, the State Department said on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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