Sudan truce extended, but strikes continue

KHARTOUM - Sudanese fighter jets pounded paramilitary positions in Khartoum while deadly fighting and looting flared in Darfur, despite the army and a rival force agreeing to extend a ceasefire deal.

In the final hours of a repeatedly broken three-day ceasefire, the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced a 72-hour extension following pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF commanded by his deputy-turned-rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.

Foreign representatives involved in seeking to quell the fighting welcomed the extended ceasefire deal and urged full implementation.

In a joint statement, the African Union, the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States applauded the two sides' "readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access".

Doing so, they said, could be followed by a de-escalation plan mapped out in an April 20 blueprint for peace.

"We welcome the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces' announcement extending the ceasefire in Sudan by an additional 72 hours," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted on Twitter.

On Thursday, warplanes flew over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine gun fire, witnesses said.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.