Sudan conflict: As battle rages, citizens evacuate the capital, Khartoum

The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had agreed a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Tuesday, but the truce collapsed within minutes of its proposed 16:00 GMT launch. A new ceasefire has now been put forward by the RSF for 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT), but the army has yet to commit to the proposal. Witnesses reported people leaving Khartoum in cars and on foot on Wednesday morning, as gunfire and deafening explosions rocked the city. Foreign nations are trying to evacuate their citizens, with Japan and Tanzania considering missions to evacuate their citizens. The US embassy in Khartoum said the "uncertain security situation" in the capital meant there were no plans for a "US government-coordinated evacuation".

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies advised locals calling for help to stay put and avoid putting themselves in the line of fire. The death toll caused by the fighting is unclear, but the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) reported that at least 174 civilians had been killed in the violence. The US, EU, UK and 12 other nations issued a joint statement on Wednesday condemning attacks directed against civilians, diplomats, and humanitarian actors in Khartoum. It also condemned "attacks directed against civilians, diplomats, and humanitarian actors" and said that comprehensive and lasting settlement of the differences between the SAF and the RSF is an urgent priority. A Russian woman trapped in a Greek Orthodox church in Khartoum said her situation was growing desperate, after her group ran out of power, food, and water.

The Norwegian Refugee Council said "virtually all humanitarian work has been paralysed" in Sudan and that it was impossible to provide assistance on the ground. The EU's ambassador to Sudan had resumed his duties after being assaulted by fighters in the capital on Monday.