Rival factions defy ceasefire to bombard Sudan's capital, Japan eyes evacuation

Air strikes and explosions hammered Sudan's capital on Wednesday after the failure of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the army and paramilitary forces, forcing residents to stay hunkered down and Japan to prepare to evacuate its citizens.

Continuous bombardments and loud blasts could be heard in central Khartoum in the area around the defence ministry compound and the airport, which has been fiercely contested and put out of action since fighting erupted at the weekend.

Thick smoke billowed into the sky.

Foreign powers including the United States have been pushing for a ceasefire between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to allow residents trapped by the fighting to obtain desperately needed relief and supplies.

Both sides indicated they had agreed to the ceasefire from 6:00 pm local time on Tuesday but firing was unabated and the army and the RSF issued statements accusing each other of failing to respect the truce.

The army's high command said it would continue operations to secure the capital and other regions.

One resident in the eastern edges of Khartoum said that after air strikes and artillery near her home a day earlier, heavy fighting resumed early on Wednesday morning before subsiding again.

"We couldn't sleep, the only quiet was from 3:00 am to 5:00 am," she said.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary said authorities were planning to use a plane from its military Self-Defense Forces for the evacuation of about 60 Japanese citizens currently in Sudan, in coordination with other major countries.