Africa

Sudan's warring forces battled Friday with heavy gunfire and explosions in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in the country, as they ignored appeals by world powers for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire.

According to reports, the ceasefire came into effect today at 6 a.m. local time and coincides with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, reports Reuters.
"The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr... in order to open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families," Rapid Support Force said in a statement.

Ankara has expressed worry after the arrest of one of Tunisia's most important politicians, Rached Ghannouchi, and stressed the move won't contribute to the social peace in the North African country.

ENTEBBE - Serbia is proud of its history of good relations with Uganda, and in the times we live in, it is important to continue to build friendships and multi-faceted cooperation, Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirovic said after a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe as part of a three-day official working visit to eastern Africa.

Amid the ongoing deadly clashes in Sudan, more than 2,500 Turkish citizens, most of them survivors of the Feb. 6 quakes and moved to Sudan, are now in the firing line and call for help on social media.

The 2-year-old girl of a Turkish citizen lost has her life as their house has been hit by a rocket amid fights between the army and paramilitaries in Sudan, claiming the lives of at least 200 people.

The government will proceed to evacuate Greek citizens from Sudan unless a safe way out for them can be found, Deputy Foreign Minister for Diaspora Greeks Andreas Katsaniotis has said.

There are approximately 150 Greeks among the 1,000 European citizens in Sudan, where fighting is raging between the armed forces and Sudan's largest paramilitary force, the minister said.

International leaders are demanding an immediate end to days of bloody fighting between rival military groups in Sudan, which has left nearly 200 people dead and hundreds more injured, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.

At least 185 people have been killed and 1,800 injured in the fighting in Sudan, UN mediator Volker Perthes said via video conference in New York.

Fighting is raging in Sudan, with the army carrying out airstrikes even in districts of Khartoum, in an attempt to wipe out paramilitary troops of the elite "Rapid Reaction Force" who tried to seize the Presidential Palace as well as the capital's international airport.

The Sudanese army and rival forces they have been battling since the weekend, agreed Tuesday to a temporary, 24-hour cease-fire, Arab media reports said.