Fighting rages in Sudan despite humanitarian pause; more than 56 civilians killed

On Sunday afternoon the army said they had ‘agreed to a UN proposal to open safe passage for humanitarian cases’ but heavy gunfire could still be heard in Khartoum

After Saturday’s killing of three World Food Programme workers the agency said it was suspending operations in the impoverished country

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Sudanese greet army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on Sunday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images / TNS

Published: 6:10pm, 16 Apr 2023Updated: 7:30am, 17 Apr 2023

Fierce fighting raged in Sudan’s capital despite an hours-long pause on Sunday to address humanitarian needs including the evacuation of wounded, on the second day of battles that left three United Nations staff among more than 56 civilians killed.

The battles between the powerful armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sparked an international outcry and regional concern, including border closures by neighbours Egypt and Chad.

Deafening explosions and intense gunfire rattled buildings in the capital Khartoum’s densely populated northern and southern suburbs as tanks rumbled on the streets and fighter jets roared overhead, witnesses said.

A Sudanese medical organisation said on Sunday that so far at least 56 civilians and dozens of soldiers have been killed

Former Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a news conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Fighting continued after nightfall on Sunday, as Sudanese hunkered down in their homes with fears of a prolonged conflict that could plunge the country into deeper chaos, dashing long-held hopes for a transition to civilian-led democracy.

After Saturday’s killing of three World Food Programme (WFP) workers the agency said it was suspending operations in the impoverished country.