Sudanese military rules out negotiations with rival force

Sudan’s military has ruled out any negotiations with the rival paramilitary forces (RSF) to end the crisis roiling the country and says it will only accept their surrender.

Sudan’s military has ruled out any negotiations with the rival paramilitary forces to end the crisis roiling the country and says it will only accept their surrender.

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A statement from the military on April 20 said that engaging in talks with the paramilitary Rapid Support Force would only be possible to discuss their surrender.

“There would be no armed forces outside the military military system," it said.

The statement came as the latest attempt at a 24-hour cease-fire between Sudan’s warring forces grew increasingly strained. The two sides have been battling since April 15 for control of the strategic African country.

Fighters from Sudan’s rival factions battled around the main military installation in central Khartoum and other parts of the country's capital on April 20, threatening to unravel the latest attempt at a cease-fire as foreign governments looked for ways to extract their citizens trapped in the conflict.

With some parts of the Sudanese capital relatively calmer than previous days, the exodus of residents in Khartoum from their homes appeared to accelerate. “Massive numbers” of people, mostly women and children, were leaving in search of safer areas, said Atiya Abdulla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors’ Syndicate.