Sudan death toll rises above 300 before truce

A proposed 24-hour truce between the two generals fighting in Sudan  began Wednesday night, allowing some aid work and people to flee urban combat zones. The fighting started on Saturday between formerly allied Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. A truce was earlier planned to start Tuesday night but each general blamed the other as fighting continued through Wednesday.

What’s happening to civilians? The cease-fire is supposed to allow the millions of people trapped in the Sudan capital of Khartoum to leave or stock up on necessities. Residents on Wednesday said they saw hundreds carrying luggage and trying to leave on foot or in cars. At least 330 people have been killed and more than 3,000 wounded, according to an estimate from the UN’s World Health Organization. There is a possibility that the number of dead may be higher since it’s unsafe to gather bodies from the streets. 

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour on the aftermath of the generals coming to power in 2021.