Sudan rival armies ignore truce

Fierce fighting broke out again in Khartoum  on Monday between Sudan’s army and paramilitaries despite the formal extension of a ceasefire.

“Warplanes are flying over southern Khartoum and anti-aircraft guns are firing at it,” one resident said.

Another witness told Agence France-Presse he was also hearing “loud gunfire” in the area.

Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the regular army, and his ex-deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have extended the latest formal truce on Sunday by 72 hours.

But fighting by the two sides for control of the country continues, with each side repeatedly blaming the other for the frequent truce violations.

More than 500 people have been killed since battles erupted on 15 April while millions of Sudanese are trapped in their homes without food and electricity for fear of getting killed in the crossfire.

Aid workers are among the dead, humanitarian facilities have been looted, and foreign aid groups have been forced to essentially halt all aid operations.

Some 50,000 people have fled the raging conflict, seeking refuge in neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt, and the Central African Republic, said the United Nations refugee agency.

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