Sudan unrest: US diplomatic convoy fired; EU ambassador assaulted in Khartoum home

Khartoum: Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a US diplomatic convoy in Sudan was fired upon in a "reckless" act, adding all the people in the group were safe.

Vehicles in the convoy had diplomatic license plates and flew a US flag, Blinken said on Tuesday at a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in the Japanese mountain resort of Karuizawa.

Blinken said the US has deep concern about the overall Sudan security environment, adding that he made clear any attacks on US diplomats were unacceptable in calls he had with generals on opposite sides of the fighting.

"We will continue to track this very closely and very carefully," Blinken said.

Blinken said it looked liked the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group was responsible for the attack on the convoy, adding the top immediate priority is quickly obtaining a cease-fire so people can get help they need.

The Sudanese group battling the army for control of the North African nation ruled out a cease-fire as diplomats struggled to halt fighting that threatens to erupt into a full-blown civil war.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary faction has killed around 200 people and wounded 1,800 after three days of urban warfare.

The fighting is between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup - army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Blinken expressed grave concern

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with two generals leading warring forces in Sudan and "underscored the urgency of reaching a ceasefire", a State Department spokesman said.

Blinken, in Japan for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, held separate calls with the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, spokesman Vedant Patel said.

"The Secretary expressed his grave concern about the death and injury of so many Sudanese civilians due to the sustained, indiscriminate fighting," Patel said in a statement.

When he spoke to the two men, Blinken "stressed the responsibility of the two generals to ensure the safety and wellbeing of civilians, diplomatic personnel, and humanitarian workers", Patel said.

A ceasefire would "permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the fighting, the reunification of Sudanese families, and allow the international community in Khartoum to make sure its presence is secure", he added.

EU ambassador assaulted in Khartoum home

The European Union ambassador to Sudan was attacked in his home in Khartoum on Monday, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell said, as fighting between rival generals gripped the nation.

"A few hours ago, the EU Ambassador in Sudan was assaulted in his own residency," Borrell wrote on Twitter, without detailing any injuries to the envoy.

"Security of diplomatic premises and staff is a primary responsibility of Sudanese authorities and an obligation under international law," he added.

The European Union's ambassador to Sudan is veteran Irish diplomat Aidan O'Hara. EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali told AFP that he was "OK" following the assault.

"The security of the staff is our priority," she said. "The EU delegation has not been evacuated. Security measures are being assessed."

UN calls for 'immediate' ceasefire

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres again called on Sudan's warring parties to "immediately cease hostilities".

Analysts say the fighting in the capital of the chronically unstable country is unprecedented and could be prolonged, despite regional and global calls for a ceasefire.

Battles have taken place throughout the vast country, and there are fears of regional spillover. The conflict has seen air strikes, artillery and heavy gunfire.

Hospitals damaged

Offices, schools and petrol stations in the capital were shut on Monday, while health services were widely disrupted and doctors said most major hospitals had gone out of service.

The bridges linking Khartoum with Omdurman and Bahri across the Nile River's two main branches were blocked by armoured vehicles, and some roads leading from the capital were impassable. Television images showed a fire raging at the international airport inside the city.

With water and power cut across large parts of the capital, some residents were venturing out to buy food, forming queues at bakeries.

There has been no police presence on the streets of Khartoum since Saturday, and witnesses reported cases of looting.

"We're scared our store will be looted because there's no sense of security," said Abdalsalam Yassin, 33, a shopkeeper who had bought extra stock ahead of the coming Eid Al Fitr holiday.

The eruption of fighting over the weekend followed rising tensions over the RSF's integration into the military.

Discord over the timetable for that process delayed a framework deal for a civilian transition that was due to be signed earlier this month.

Egypt's Sisi also said he is in touch with the RSF to ensure the safety