We'll leave you with the latest updates:

• A three-day ceasefire between two rival groups - the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RSF) is due to end at midnight tonight
• Clashes have been reported, with gunshots heard and fighter jets seen in parts of the country despite the fragile truce
• South Sudan is leading the mediation efforts between clashing parties in Sudan, but no progress has been made so far

• Sudan's health ministry says at least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 injured in the conflict so far since 15 April, but the real death toll is thought to be much higher
• The UK has evacuated 897 people on eight flights and there are more to come

• British nationals who want to leave Sudan have been told "now is the time to move" by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly who says there is no guarantee evacuations will be possible after the ceasefire ends
• The BBC's Newsday programme has been told that militiamen have been terrorising civilians in the city of Nyala in South Darfur, a sign that violence has spread beyond the capital Khartoum

Today's page was edited by Tiffany Wertheimer, Emily McGarvey, Jeremy Gahagan and Alex Therrien. The writers were Jennifer McKiernan, Ece Göksedef, Farouk Chothia, Gabriela Pomeroy, Jack Burgess, Catherine McGowan and Natasha Booty.

The UK government has just given an update that 897 people have now been evacuated on eight UK flights out of Sudan, and more flights will happen.

Photojournalists on the ground in and around Sudan's capital Khartoum have been able to capture the following images from the city today.

Image source, REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Image source, REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Image source, REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

Image source, REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

The US Secretary of State says Washington is focused on extending the ceasefire in Sudan.

Speaking to reporters, Anthony Blinken said the pause in fighting had reduced violence and helped in evacuating people from the country.

Image source, .

The BBC's Lewis Vaughan Jones is at the airfield in Larnaca, Cyprus, as UK nationals arrive.

We've been told to expect "a steady drumbeat" of flight arrivals from Khartoum, he says.

"There is a sense of urgency," he adds, because the end of the ceasefire is approaching, "and that is a very unpredictable time".

If the ceasefire does break down, it "throws in doubt" the evacuation operation, but we are expecting flights taking out UK nationals "from now right up until the deadline of the ceasefire".

Sarah Karrar, from London, who's 77 year old mother went to Sudan for a wedding, told BBC News that she doesn’t know where her mother is now.

Her mother is diabetic and two days ago, she had three days of medication left. ”It’s really stressful,” Karrar says.

“We were very happy to hear there were plans to evacuate but it took seven hours to arrange a car to take her to the airport and she could only arrive after the first flight took off," she told BBC News.

“I was told by my cousin that she took off at 5am Khartoum time yesterday morning. We assumed she was on that plane which landed on Cyprus around 10am on Wednesday. But I haven’t heard from her since.”

Karrar called the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office helpline but they couldn't confirm if her mother was in Cyprus or not.

“I don’t know for sure when she is coming to the UK. She may be in Stansted now or Cyprus. The communication could be better.”

Joe Inwood
Newsnight Correspondent

Image source, Dr Elham Babikir

Dr Elham Babikir is in an almost impossible position.

The Sudanese medic recently accepted a job to work at an NHS hospital. The work permit had been granted and she had sent her families documents to the UK Embassy in Khartoum, ready to start a new life.

Then, this conflict began. The embassy was evacuated and now the fate of her documents is unknown.

“I need my documents, I need my passport, I need to be safe with my family” she tells me, speaking over WhatsApp during one of the few moments she has an internet connection.

Along with her husband and three children, Dr Babikir managed to flee to a relative’s home outside the capital Khartoum.

“I didn't feel safe at home because of the gunfire. My kids had to hide under the bed, staying away from windows, from doors. There were people here entering your home, taking your stuff… I was living in peace in Sudan. I was working at a very great hospital with a good salary.”

Without her documents, Dr Babikir can't leave Sudan.

We have contacted the UK's foreign affairs ministry (FCDO), but are yet to hear back.

As for the family, they are safe in the countryside for now. But, with this conflict looking set to escalate, it is far from clear how long that will remain the case.

Tagreed Abdin lives in Khartoum and says she can still hear shelling, despite the ongoing ceasefire.

She told BBC News that she chose to stay in Sudan because she "couldn't guarantee that the roads were safe".

She said she had heard "horror stories" from the border, and that the staff there were "overwhelmed".

"Some people are taking about three days just to reach the border and then they're stuck there without food, water or shelter," she added.

Tagreed, who is diabetic, said her family would need visas to cross into Egypt and her elderly mother's passport has expired.

Fear that violence could escalate if truce endspublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 27 April 2023

17:02 BST 27 April 2023

Farouk Chothia
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

The big fear is that the war in Sudan will escalate once foreign governments complete the evacuation of their nationals, unless the warring sides agree to extend the 72-hour truce due to end tonight.

Despite the ceasefire, the fighting is now in its 13th day and is across Sudan, from Gedaref near the eastern border with Ethiopia, to Darfur near the western border with Chad, as well as the city of Damazin in the south and the town of Merowe in the north.

At least seven states have been affected by the violence, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).

Worst-hit by the conflict are Khartoum and areas of Darfur, the birthplace of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighting the military for power in Sudan.

Darfur was the scene of a vicious war that broke out two decades ago, with the Janjaweed militiamen - many of whom are now in the RSF - playing a pivotal role in crushing a rebellion against the central government.

As a result, the RSF has a strong military presence in Darfur, and it could retreat to the region and recruit more fighters to challenge the power of the military. It could also rekindle old feuds, making the conflict more complicated.

Foreign governments are pushing for an extension of the ceasefire, and for a negotiated end to the conflict.

If this does not happen, the military and RSF could become involved in a fight to the finish - and Sudanese civilians will suffer the most.

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has released these pictures showing military personnel helping to evacuate people from Sudan.

Around 536 British nationals have been evacuated away from the ongoing conflict so far.

Image source, Ministry of Defence

Image source, Ministry of Defence

Image source, Ministry of Defence

Image source, EPA

Britain's ambassador in Sudan is speaking to warring parties in the country to extend the three-day ceasefire which is due to end at midnight.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "As part of that, we are obviously supporting an extension to the ceasefire and are lobbying for that."

Two flights landed in Cyprus today carrying British nationals who have been evacuated from the conflict, with more due to land shortly.

“A further flight has landed today. It was six flights yesterday, two have landed today and there are more expected later today as well,” the spokesperson said.

Downing Street also stressed it was "imperative" that anyone who wants to come to the UK, and is eligible to do so, leaves as soon as possible.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining our coverage of the current situation in Sudan or dipping in for a catch-up, here are the latest details:

• A three-day ceasefire between two rival groups - the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group (RSF) is due to end at midnight tonight
• Clashes have been reported, with gunshots heard and fighter jets seen in parts of the country despite the fragile truce
• South Sudan is leading the mediation efforts between clashing parties in Sudan, but no progress has been made so far

• Sudan's health ministry says at least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 injured in the conflict so far since 15 April, but the real death toll is thought to be much higher
• Around 536 British nationals have been evacuated from Sudan
• British nationals who want to leave Sudan have been told "now is the time to move" by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly who says there is no guarantee evacuations will be possible after the ceasefire ends at midnight local time
• The BBC's Newsday programme has been told that militiamen have been terrorising civilians in the city of Nyala in South Darfur, a sign that violence has spread beyond the capital Khartoum

Image source, REUTERS/Blair Gable

Canada's first evacuation flight from Sudan has taken place on a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130 Hercules aircraft, defence minister Anita Anand has said.

That means that 180 Canadians have now fled Sudan, according to the government's records, she added. Dozens have already left the country aboard allies' flights.

The Canadian government is working towards evacuating more people over the coming days and will continue to "support Canadians in Sudan", Anand said.

Out of more than 1,800 Canadians in Sudan, at least 700 have requested help to be evacuated, and most are in the capital, Khartoum, the minister said.

She added that planning is taking place "to ensure the maximum number of Canadians can be evacuated as soon as possible".

Yesterday the Canadian government announced it would send up to 200 Canadian Armed Forces troops and deploy two Hercules aircrafts to help with the evacuation.

Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter

Image source, Hanabneiho youth organisation

While thousands are trying to leave Sudan through various borders, many more people simply cannot afford the bus tickets to leave the country.

I've been talking to Ahmed Elkhawad Hussein, a volunteer with the Hanabneiho local youth organisation. He's been organising shelter and food for people who have fled Khartoum to nearby Al Gazira state.

"We have at least 10,000 people sleeping outdoors in Al Gazira state. These people could not afford a bus ticket to Egypt, so they fled to a closer location outside Khartoum."

"People are suffering. They have been sleeping outdoors. We have people on dialysis and we try to connect them with doctors."

"We cleared out several schools and arranged for people to sleep in the schools on the floors and on mattresses. We have also set up a kitchen to help feed these people, and arranged for old people to sleep near the hospital."

Image source, Hanabneiho youth organisation

Image source, Hanabneiho youth organisation

Ece Göksedef
Live reporter

Fleeing to the north from the South Sudan civil war between 2013-2016, South Sudanese found themselves in the middle of clashes again.

And around 9,000 of them have migrated back to South Sudan in the past 12 days.

That was a quick turn of events.

Only last October, the UN Security Council met to discuss how to start talks between Sudan and South Sudan, in an effort to resolve border disputes.

Today South Sudan took the lead trying to negotiate peace between the two warring sides in Sudan.

• Sudan country profile
• Witness History: Sudan's October Revolution

How did it come to this point?

When the previous civil war ended (1983-2005) and South Sudan was declared as a sovereign state in 2011, Sudan was the first country to recognize its independence.

But the border disputes and accusations of supporting rebel groups in both countries continued. A UN peacekeeping force had to be deployed on the oil rich area of the border.

Despite those disagreements, the relationship between both countries is very important.

They were one country not so long ago and they have strong ties with their economic, international and cultural affairs. South Sudan still relies on Sudan’s oil infrastructure to transport its crude oil.

The three-day ceasefire in Sudan is still expected to end tonight, UK foreign secretary James Cleverly has told MPs.

Speaking in the Commons this afternoon, Cleverly continued to encourage those who wish to leave to get to the airport without delay.

"The ceasefire is due to elapse at midnight local time and no-one - can predict the situation on the ground after that," he said.

"We're encouraging those who wish to travel to make their way to the airport today.

"We will continue to engage with our international partners to attempt to extend the ceasefire and bring a permanent end to the violence."

More than 3,500 people have arrived in Ethiopia in the past few days after fleeing heavy fighting in Sudan, according to the UN.

They've warned that up to 270,000 people could also seek refuge in neighbouring South Sudan, Chad and Egypt.

The UN said there were more than 35 nationalities among those seeking refuge in Ethiopia, with about 1,400, or 40%, from Turkey.

Image source, Reuters

Those unable to leave Sudan, face a decision to either risk being on the move or risk staying at home, says Mohamed Osman, from Human Rights Watch.

He tells BBC Radio 4's World at One programme "there are a lot of compounding challenges".

He says with the internet being down in a significant part of the country over the past few days, "people don't even know what are the safest routes to travel through".

"There's a lot of uncertainty and fear because even the people who manage to move out of Khartoum, they are stuck somewhere, they are experiencing looting and banditry or they're getting stuck at border crossings."

And he says with shooting and shelling continuing in places, despite the ceasefire, he fears the worst after it ends at midnight tonight.

"There have been no clear mechanisms on the ground to verify the ceasefire independently and the fact there have been no consequences for the leaders for violating the commitments they made - it's hard to imagine anything positive is going to come out after the ceasefire."

One man told the BBC about the violence that he'd seen before he was evacuated from Sudan.

"You see some people really dying for a lot of things. You even see some bodies in the streets," he said.

He was among the British citizens flying into Larnaca airport in Cyprus before flying on to the UK.

He also said that people back in Sudan had told him fighting was still going on despite the ceasefire.

"I spoke to some people who still can hear a lot of shot guns and people dying," he added.

Natasha Booty
BBC News

A distressed Nigerian student in Sudan has told the BBC that some of her friends are stranded in the desert after a bungled evacuation effort, "because the bus drivers say the Nigerian government did not pay them any money".

The 22-year-old, who asked not to be identified, said that only 10 of the 14 buses promised by Nigeria's authorities arrived in Khartoum yesterday so there wasn't space for her and others on board.

She's still waiting in the Sudanese capital with a friend, and fears telling her parents back home that there is no sign yet of more buses:

"I don’t want to break this bad news to them. My mum has been worried."

She is among more than 1,000 students still sheltering at the International University of Africa in Khartoum. They worry they will be told to leave the premises later today with nowhere safe to go.

The BBC has contacted Nigeria's diaspora coordination team for comment.