No discussions until the bombardment stops in Sudan, Hemedti tells the BBC

One of Sudan's duelling generals, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has told the BBC he will not negotiate until fighting ends. He blames army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for the violence, and has tentatively agreed to face-to-face talks in South Sudan. Hemedti said he was open to talks, but the condition was that the ceasefire should hold. He said he had no personal problem with Gen Burhan, but regarded him as a traitor for bringing into government those loyal to former President Omar al-Bashir. They fell out this year over the proposed return to civilian rule, in particular about the timeframe of incorporating Hemedti's 100,000-strong Rapid Support Force's (RSF) into the army.

Hemedti told the BBC that his RSF fighters were not the enemies of the military soldiers, but were battling to protect the country from "the relics of the government of the past 30 years". The UN has reported that the RSF troops are forcing people from their homes and looting and extortion is taking place. However, Hemedti denied involvement in looting and taking over hospitals, saying his troops were trying to help residents of a city reeling from fierce clashes that began 14 days ago. At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have fled their homes, often paying huge sums to leave and facing abuses en route.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. A Turkish evacuation plane was shot at as it was landing at an airport outside Khartoum, but no-one was injured. Those remaining in Khartoum describe living in a "constant state of fear". Violence is reported to have been particularly bad in El Geneina, a city in western Sudan, where the RSF and militias linked to the group are reported to have looted and torched markets, aid warehouses and banks.