Heavy fighting in Khartoum power struggle «

Fierce fighting was heard in central Khartoum on Thursday as the army tried to push back the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from areas around the presidential palace and army headquarters, with a long-running ceasefire failing. was giving

Each side appears to be vying for control of territory in the capital ahead of any potential talks, although leaders of both factions have shown little public willingness to negotiate after more than two weeks of fighting.

The adjacent cities of Omdurman and Bahri were also heavily bombarded. Both sides had agreed to a seven-day ceasefire which has been violated.

“Since yesterday evening, and since this morning, there have been sounds of airstrikes and clashes,” said al-Sadiq Ahmed, a 49-year-old engineer speaking from Khartoum.

“We are in a constant state of terror as fighting takes place around the centers of residential neighborhoods. We don’t know when this nightmare and fear will end.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations pressed Sudan’s warring factions on Wednesday to guarantee safe passage of humanitarian aid after six trucks were looted and airstrikes in the capital undermined a supposed ceasefire.

The UN aid chief, Martin Griffiths, said he hoped to have face-to-face meetings with Sudan’s warring parties in two to three days to secure guarantees for aid convoys.

The United Nations has warned that fighting between the army and the RSF, which began on April 15, threatens a humanitarian catastrophe that could spread to other countries. Sudan said on Tuesday that 550 people have been killed and 4,926 injured in the conflict so far.

The United Nations says about 100,000 people have fled Sudan to neighboring countries with little food or water.

The army said it killed RSF fighters and destroyed several “insurgent” vehicles after a clash with the group in the Naval Military Area.

The army and RSF joined forces in a coup two years ago and shared power as part of free elections and an internationally-backed transition to civilian rule before falling out of transition.

The RSF accused the army of violating the ceasefire and attacking the forces since dawn. It said the army “cowardly” attacked his residential areas with artillery and aircraft.