Sudan ceasefire brings uneasy calm to Khartoum

Residents say an uneasy calm has returned to Sudan's capital city, Khartoum, after the country's warring generals agreed to a 24-hour truce that was brokered by Saudi Arabia.

Previous attempts at ceasefires between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have failed.

People are using the brief pause in fighting to buy food and medicines.

At least 1.5 million Sudanese have fled their homes since the conflict began in April, according to UN estimates.

The truce is meant to hold until 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Sunday.

It is not clear if Saturday's ceasefire is being respected in Darfur, the region where some of the worst atrocities have been committed during this conflict. Humanitarian groups say it is almost impossible to deliver aid to the area.

Earlier this week Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned that if the ceasefire failed, the country would consider suspending peace efforts.

Saudi Arabia and the US have both tried to broker peace.

After the previous attempt at talks collapsed in May, the US sanctioned the two rival generals - Sudan's army chief and de facto leader Gen Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo.

People living in Khartoum are sceptical that Saturday's truce will hold and are desperate for an end to a conflict that has killed hundreds of civilians.

"A one-day truce is much less than we aspire for," Mahmud Bashir told the AFP news agency.

"We look forward to an end to this damned war."