Outside pressure mounts for Eid ceasefire in Sudan
More than 300 people have been killed in Sudan in the past week due to fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The United Nations, the United States and other countries have called for a three-day truce to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. The RSF has agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, but there has been no immediate response from the army. The ceasefire is scheduled to begin at 06:00 on Friday, coinciding with the festival. However, gunfire and explosions can still be heard in the capital, Khartoum.
The UN has warned that between 10,000 and 20,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Sudan amid the bitter fighting to seek safety in neighbouring Chad.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken appealed to the warring military leaders to join a ceasefire at least until Sunday. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also appealed for a ceasefire to provide civilians with a respite from the fighting and to pave the way for a permanent ceasefire.