Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has received several calls from the foreign ministers of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, including from the Turkish president and the chief of Egyptian intelligence, an army statement said.
The calls came amid efforts to get both the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to agree to a three-day ceasefire during the Islamic Eid that begins on Friday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called on Sudan’s warring factions to observe a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr to allow civilians to reach safe areas while rival forces evacuate on Thursday. fought the sixth day.
All sides, including calls from the UN Secretary-General and the leaders of South Sudan and Ethiopia, affirmed the need to stop the violence and resort to dialogue.
Thousands of civilians fled the capital Khartoum on Thursday to a backdrop of gunfire and explosions. Large numbers also moved to Chad to flee the fighting in the western region of Darfur.
The US said it would send more troops to the region if it decided to evacuate its embassy in Khartoum.
More than 330 people have been killed so far in the violent power struggle that broke out over the weekend between two previously allied leaders of Sudan’s ruling military government.
The fiercest fighting between the army and the paramilitary RSF took place around Khartoum – one of Africa’s largest metropolitan areas – and in Darfur, still scarred by a protracted conflict that ended three years ago.
Guterres, speaking to reporters after a virtual meeting with leaders of the African Union, Arab League and other organizations, said: “There was a strong consensus to condemn the ongoing fighting in Sudan and to call for a cessation of hostilities as an immediate priority.”
Civilians trapped in conflict zones should be able to escape and seek medical treatment, food and other supplies, he said.
Blame
Sudanese army chief General al-Burhan told Al Jazeera he would support a ceasefire provided civilians were allowed to move freely — something he said the RSF had thus far prevented.
He also said he currently sees no partner for negotiations and “no option other than the military solution”.
His rival, RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, told Al Jazeera he was ready to implement a three-day truce on Eid.
Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, has said several times that he supported the ceasefire.
“We are talking about a humanitarian ceasefire, we are talking about safe passages… we are not talking about sitting down with a criminal,” Dagalo said, referring to al-Burhan.
Al-Burhan accused Dagalo, until last week his deputy on the council that ruled since a coup two years ago, of “seizure of power”.
An alliance between the two men had largely endured since the overthrow of longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir four years ago.
The latest violence was sparked by disagreements over an internationally backed plan to form a new civilian government.
Both sides have accused the other of thwarting the transition.
“The talk of the two leaders about the ceasefire is nothing more than a political tactic, and neither of them is ready for serious negotiations,” former US diplomat Timothy Carney told Al Jazeera.
“The new Sudanese state cannot have two independent armies,” he added.
Gunfire in the morning
Since the outbreak of hostilities, much of the fighting has centered on the grounds where the army headquarters and al-Burhan’s residence are located. The embassy quarter and the airport were also the scene of skirmishes.
Witnesses in the town of El-Obeid, east of Darfur, described clashes between the army and RSF forces and widespread looting.
In Khartoum and sister cities Omdurman and Bahri, residents gathered at bus stations with suitcases after more explosions and gunfire in the morning.
Al Jazeera’s Haitham Uweit reported late Thursday in Khartoum that there is “a sense of calm” in the capital after a warplane was heard bombing several locations.
“Everyone is waiting to see if the two warring sides will declare another ceasefire because of Eid,” he said.
“A sad feeling prevails among the Sudanese people, who receive Eid in this atmosphere. There are no manifestations of welcoming Eid in light of the mass flight of people from Khartoum. Usually Sudanese visit the neighboring villages to celebrate Eid, but now they go there in sad circumstances,” he added.
In Geneva, the World Health Organization urged fighters to open a safe corridor for medics and allow those trapped to flee.
About 10,000 to 20,000 people who escaped the fighting have sought refuge in villages along the border in Chad, according to UN refugee agency UNHCR and the World Food Program (WFP).