KHARTOUM - Persistent fighting between Sudan's rival generals undermined efforts to firm up a truce on Wednesday as a senior UN official arrived for talks on providing relief to millions of trapped civilians.
The visit by top UN humanitarian official Martin Griffiths comes one day after neighbouring South Sudan announced that the warring sides had agreed "in principle" to a seven-day ceasefire.
Deadly violence broke out on April 15 between Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who commands the regular army, and his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
At least 528 people have been killed and nearly 4,600 wounded, according to the latest health ministry figures, which are likely to be incomplete.
Ten of thousands of Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries in an exodus that has sparked warnings of a humanitarian "catastrophe" with implications for the entire region
On Wednesday, Griffiths arrived in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast on an urgent mission to look for ways to bring relief to the millions of Sudanese who are unable to flee.
Earlier, the foreign ministry of neighbouring South Sudan announced that Burhan and Daglo "have agreed in principle for a seven-day truce from May 4th to 11th."
The two sides have yet to formally confirm the new ceasefire.
The two men have agreed multiple truces since the fighting began but none has effectively taken hold. The current truce was extended on Sunday by a further 72 hours and is due to expire on Wednesday at 10pm.
Despite the truce efforts, witnesses reported warplanes over north Khartoum on Wednesday and fierce clashes near the state broadcaster's headquarters in the capital's twin city of Omdurman.
