Ceasefire agreed in Sudan as tens of thousands flee the fighting

As fighting continues in Sudan, tens of thousands of people fled to neighbouring countries on Monday, though a 72-hour ceasefire was announced in the evening.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Sudanese armed forces and rival Rapid Support Forces had agreed to observe a nationwide ceasefire for 72 hours starting at midnight.

Similar announcements have been made since the outbreak of fighting but were not observed.

"To support a durable end to the fighting, the United States will coordinate with regional and international partners, and Sudanese civilian stakeholders, to assist in the creation of a committee to oversee the negotiation, conclusion, and implementation of a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements in Sudan," Blinken said in a statement.

"We will continue to work with the Sudanese parties and our partners toward the shared goal of a return to civilian government in Sudan."

The announcement came as a ceasefire agreed by the warring sides for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, was due to end on Monday evening.

Sudan's two most powerful generals and their units have been fighting for supremacy for over a week, leaving hundreds dead.

De facto president Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also commander-in-chief of the army, is fighting with the military against his deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, the leader of the powerful paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"Civilians are fleeing areas affected by fighting, including to Chad, Egypt and South Sudan," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said earlier. Thousands of refugees were also gathering at the border with Ethiopia, the office said.

Fighting continued in Khartoum, while there were also airstrikes on the city of Omdurman, which borders Khartoum to the north, and in the suburb of Kalakla, according to reports and witnesses. Several residential buildings collapsed in Kalakla, videos and reports showed. Residents searched for people trapped beneath the rubble.

There was also reportedly more fighting in the West Darfur region.

The UN said at least 427 people have been killed and 3,700 injured since the conflict began. The actual number of victims, however, is believed to be much higher.

The supply situation in Khartoum has deteriorated dramatically. Residents are struggling with a lack of water and food, and power cuts are increasingly hampering communication. Looting is also a major threat.

Internet access is also highly restricted, with connections nationwide at only 2% of their normal level, according to British network organization Netblocks. It was unclear why this was the case and the army accused the RSF of sabotage.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry offered to host a negotiating summit to end the violence, a ministry spokesman said. "If there is a way Israel can help end the war and violence in the country, we would be very happy to do so," Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said.

Israel is already in contact with senior figures on both sides and is making efforts to bring about negotiations. Progress in the talks in recent days has been "promising," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, organizations and governments continued their evacuation efforts.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from Sudan, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, adding this might rise to 1,200 people or even 1,500 by the end of the day.

Borrell also stressed the importance of international pressure to bring an end to the fighting. The implosion of Sudan would "send shock waves" around Africa, he said.

The UN mission in Sudan said it would continue its work in the country despite the evacuation of many of its staff. More than 700 UN staff and people working for international NGOs and embassies reached the port city of Port Sudan and were to be evacuated from there, the UN said.

A "small number" of international staff including the UN Special Representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes, would continue to work from Sudan, the UN said.

Perthes said, "We are determined to stay in Sudan and support the Sudanese people in any way we can. We will do everything we can to save lives while protecting the safety of our personnel."

Following the temporary closure of the US embassy in Khartoum, the US government is exploring other options for a diplomatic presence in the country.