Antony Blinken calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan

At least 97 people killed and hundreds wounded as clashes spread across country

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and a return to talks to put the country back on track to a civilian-led government.

At least 97 people have been killed and hundreds wounded as clashes have spread across Sudan since Saturday, when fighting erupted between army units loyal to Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who is deputy head of the council.