Sudanese hold little hope for hiatus as fighting enters sixth day

KHARTOUM - Explosions and gunfire resounded in Sudan's capital on Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals showed no signs of abating ahead of festivities marking the end of Ramadan.

Nearly 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Some of the fiercest battles have taken place in the capital Khartoum, a city home to five million people, most of whom have been cloistered in their homes without electricity, food and water.

The violence entered a sixth day after another truce unravelled on Wednesday, with the crackle of gunfire heard and columns of thick black smoke seen rising from buildings around Khartoum International Airport and the army headquarters in the capital.

The RSF had said its forces would "fully commit to a complete ceasefire" from 1600 GMT on Wednesday for 24 hours, as did the army.

But witnesses said gunfire did not cease in Khartoum from the appointed time and into the night, as another ceasefire was breached withing minutes of its supposed start for the second time in as many days.

- Eid celebrations marred -

The fighting -- which has so far killed and wounded hundreds of people -- has taken a heavy toll on civilians around Sudan, many observing the holiest final days of Ramadan.

Burhan and Daglo's bitter dispute centred around the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army -- a key condition for a final deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition.

Around the capital and elsewhere, RSF fighters atop armoured vehicles and pickup trucks laden with weapons have taken over the streets.

Many have put up checkpoints to search cars carrying civilians trying to escape Khartoum's worst battle zones to safer areas in the capital and beyond.

Fighting has damaged residential and commercial buildings, and civilians sheltering in their homes are becoming increasingly desperate.

By Tuesday, thousands of Sudanese had fled the capital, with many reporting seeing dead bodies littering the streets as they made their way to safety.