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Fighting is continuing in parts of Sudan despite a 72-hour ceasefire largely holding.
Speaking via phone from Omdurman, the adjoining city to the capital Khartoum, the BBC’s Mohamed Osman said there was fighting near TV and radio buildings.
He also said there was “no fuel at all”, a lack of doctors, and people struggling to access food and money.
The ceasefire, which began at midnight local time (22:00 GMT) on Monday, is due to expire at the start of Friday.
The conflict began on 15 April amid a power struggle between the leaders of Sudan’s regular army and rival group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“People in Khartoum, particularly in Omdurman where I live, are finding it difficult to find clean water and food – even cash to buy things – there are no banks or any money institutes from which to get money,” Osman told the BBC World Service’s OS programme.
He said he could still hear explosions and gun fire, with military planes in the air, although it was quieter than before the ceasefire.
“It is difficult for us to sleep. We are scared. The children are scared because there are large explosions and bullets around us. We lay on the ground. But honestly the last few days the situation has got better.
“The first three days we couldn’t do anything. All the time we were lying on the ground because of the explosions.”
He said there were several checkpoints, manned by both sides in the conflict, but fewer than in recent days, as some troops have withdrawn from his local area.
“I learned from other sources that they have reported to another area of Omdurman,” he added.
Osman said both warring factions were claiming they control important places like airports and army headquarters. There is no internet access and phone lines are poor, he added.
“I have been reporting for several years – I covered protests, the coup, the civil wars, I was in Darfur. But for me this is the most difficult situation because there is death all around everywhere.”
“The most difficult thing is to clarify what is going on because we do not know the truth,” he added. “There is no third party to clarify what is going on.”
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