“We could have war,” Ali added, voicing a fear that was fueling increasingly urgent calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict from the United States and other global powers.
Both the Sudanese military and its partner-turned-rival, the RSF, had claimed gains over the other with boasts on social media and calls for the other side to surrender that suggested limited possibility for an immediate truce.
The state TV broadcaster resumed operations Monday after the military said it had regained control of the building, adding to suggestions that it may have gained the upper hand after launching airstrikes on RSF bases.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed demands for an immediate cease-fire and a return to talks between the two warring factions.
“People in Sudan want the military back in the barracks. They want democracy. They want civilian-led government. Sudan needs to return to that path,” Blinken told reporters Monday on the sidelines of a meeting with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations in Japan.
A State Department spokesperson said all U.S. government workers in Sudan are “accounted for and safe.”
The U.S., U.K., Russia, and China have all called for an end to the violence in the country, in a rare moment of unity.
A three-hour ceasefire was announced on Sunday to secure passage for civilians and medical workers.
But the battles created more hardships for Sudan where about 16 million people, or one-third of the population, depend on humanitarian assistance. The Word Food program suspended its operations over the weekend after three employees were killed in fighting in the war-torn western region of Darfur.
The fighting marks a deadly setback for Sudan, a resource-rich nation strategically located at the crossroads of Africa and the Arab world that has been known for its history of military coups and civil conflicts since it gained independence in the 1950s.
Only four years ago, it inspired hope after a popular uprising helped depose longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir. But it was derailed in a 2021 coup attempt, jointly orchestrated by the two generals who were then allies.
The latest violence is the culmination of months of heightened tensions between the two forces that delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back on a path to democratic rule.
A framework agreed after negotiations in recent months was vague on key points of dispute, including how the RSF would be integrated into the armed forces and who would have final control.
Associated Press, Reuters and Leila Sackur contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
