Brits trapped in Sudan desperate to flee as military rejects peace talks

Thousands of people remain trapped within Sudan's capital, including a number of British nationals, as ITV News correspondent John Ray reports

Foreign nationals trapped in Sudan, including British citizens, are desperate to flee the country, as the conflict intensifies.

Sudan's military has rejected the opportunity for further peace talks with a rival paramilitary force, saying it would only accept terms for a complete surrender as the two sides continue to wage a bloody battle for control of the African country.

Thousands of civilians fled Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on Thursday whilst a fragile 24-hour ceasefire was in place.

But the Sudanese military's statement has now raised the likelihood of a renewed surge in the conflict once the latest truce ends.

The conflict, which began last weekend, has killed at least 330 people and injured a further 3,300, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

One British national told ITV News she has been taking shelter in a school basement with her friends and six children, including her daughter. She told us there has been no opportunity for safe passage out of Sudan yet.

Davina Jeffrey said her daughter was worried about what would happen to them: "She does ask questions like 'what will happen to us if a bomb hits us,' 'when will there be peace,' and it's difficult to know what to say."Sudan's medical system has been left on the brink of collapse by the fighting, with many hospitals forced to shut down and others running out of supplies.

A second ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday evening, after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with both army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

Leaders from Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also held talks with the two generals on Thursday in a bid to bring an end to the bloodshed.

But hours before the truce was set to end, the military said in a statement that it would not negotiate with its rival, the RSF, adding: "There would be no armed forces outside [of] the military system."

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Gunfire could be heard throughout Khartoum on Thursday despite the ceasefire, with residents reporting that the heaviest battles took place at the main military headquarters in the city centre.

Residents in Sudan's capital have been attempting to reach safety for several days, with supplies of food and water rapidly running out.

Atiya Abdulla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate (SDS) said "massive numbers" of people, mostly women and children, used the ceasefire to escape to safer ground.

She added the truce had not been firm enough to deliver supplies and relief to Sudan's overwhelmed hospitals.

Around 70% of hospitals near the clash sites throughout the country are out of service, the SDS said.

The fighting has been disastrous for a country where the United Nations (UN) said around a third of the population - some 16 million people - are in need of humanitarian aid.

Attempts to establish democratic rule within Sudan have also been derailed by the violence, which came about after weeks of growing tensions between the two generals over new international attempts to press a return to civilian government.

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The Pentagon is moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in Djibouti to prepare for the possible evacuation of US Embassy personnel from Sudan. Two Biden administration officials told the Associated Press the deployments to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti are necessary because of the current uncertain situation in Sudan.

In a statement Thursday, the Pentagon said it will deploy “additional capabilities” to the region to potentially help facilitate an evacuation of embassy personnel from Sudan if required, but provided no details, and did not state the location.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the decision to prepare for a possible evacuation was made by President Joe Biden in the “last couple of days.” The president “authorised the military to move forward with pre-positioning forces and to develop options," Kirby told reporters at the White House.

“There’s no indication that either side is deliberately going after or trying to hurt or target Americans,” Kirby said. “But it’s obviously a dangerous situation.”