The UN Security Council has called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Sudan amid continued fighting in the nation’s capital. In a statement on Friday the council “expressed deep concern” over the continued clashes and called on the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to ensure “unhindered humanitarian access” across the country.

Talks collapse: The council meeting took place two days after the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, quit Saudi- and US-sponsored peace talks blaming the RSF for failing to respect the terms of a week-long ceasefire agreed the week before. The two sides had been engaged in talks in Jeddah for more than three weeks, and had agreed to extend the ceasefire through to yesterday evening.

US slaps sanctions on both sides: The US has hit four companies accused of fuelling and profiting from the conflict in Sudan with sanctions, the Treasury Department said Thursday. The sanctions will cut off financial flows to two companies affiliated with the army, including Sudan’s largest defense firm, and two aligned with the RSF, including a gold mining company owned by RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, according to the statement.

Egypt + Qatar to coordinate Sudan relief efforts: El Sisi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani agreed to launch a joint initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Sudan during a phone call over the weekend, according to an Ittahidiya statement.

REMEMBER- The war in Sudan has made refugees of some 292k people, the majority of which — 170k —- crossed the border into Egypt, according to UN data.

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