UN urges Sudan help

THE UN yesterday urged countries with influence in Africa to help end the conflict in Sudan after reported progress in truce talks between the army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Clashes rocked Halfaya, an entry point to the capital, yesterday as residents heard warplanes circling over Khartoum and its adjoining sister cities of Bahri and Omdurman, but the fighting appeared calmer.

In public, neither side has shown it is ready to offer concessions to end the conflict that erupted last month, threatening to pitch Sudan into a civil war, killing hundreds of people and triggering a humanitarian crisis.

The UN said that both sides had trampled international humanitarian law.

Army general Yassir al-Atta said yesterday that the talks should aim at removing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Khartoum, merging its fighters into the regular military and putting its leaders on trial.