More than 1,000 European Union citizens were evacuated from Sudan over the weekend amid the deadly fighting between rival army factions, the union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said.

Mr Borell told journalists that it had been a complex operation but had been successful – adding that the EU ambassador to Khartoum was still in the country.

He said that the EU bloc would continue pushing for a political settlement to end the crisis that could worsen and have an impact across the African continent.

Evacuations from the Sudanese capital have continued through the night, as fighting between the army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Group (RSF) shows no signs of abating.

France, Germany, Canada, Spain and Italy have all said they've moved their diplomatic staff to safety.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands others wounded, according to the UN.

Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said “The reality is we have to get British nationals out”.

Talking to BBC’S Today, Kearns said that there is a risk but “Now the focus has to shift to British nationals” and added:

“We have to think about the context they find themselves. People are terrified. Across the world, there’s a very limited amount of evacuation going on because of the complexities on the ground.”

When asked if that was the right thing to do to evacuate only the diplomats, she answered “I don’t have access to intelligence but inherently I feel uncomfortable as a former foreign office diplomat you are the last person out. However there was a meaningful risk to the lives of the diplomats. But now the focus has to shift to British nationals.”

She acknowledges that evacuation is ‘enormously difficult’ but still “The reality is we have to get British nationals out.”

Ms Kearns believes that even if it cannot be done because it’s too dangerous, “We have a moral obligation to tell British nationals as soon as possible that this is a judgement that has been made. Because they then need to make their own decisions.”

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is deploying a team of disaster response experts to co-ordinate a humanitarian response in Sudan amid fighting between rival army factions.

Samantha Power, the agency’s head, said on Sunday that the experts would work with the international partners to identify priority needs and deliver assistance to those in need.

The team will be operating from Kenya in the initial phase of its operations, the agency said.

Ms Power emphasised calls by the international community for a ceasefire and end to the bloodshed.

“The United States demands that the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces abide by the three-day Eid al-Fitr ceasefire to which they have agreed, end this reckless bloodshed, facilitate humanitarian access, comply with international humanitarian law,” she said.

More than 400 people have been killed in the fighting and thousands wounded in the violence that has now entered its second week.

Two more flights are planned overnight, Downing Street says, as the UK begins its evacuation mission from the country.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has called for a ceasefire and end to the violence in Sudan.

He says British diplomats have been evacuated from the country after specific threats and violence were made towards them.

Mr Cleverly also urges Britons in the region to "register with us... so we know who is there and where they are" so we can find a way to help.

Image source, Reuters

Internet connection remains largely disrupted across Sudan as the fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces enters a second week, NetBlocks organisation reports.

"Sudan remains largely offline in the midst of an internet blackout, with connectivity at 2% of ordinary levels," the cybersecurity monitor said in a statement, external on Monday.

It cited military allegations that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces allegedly sabotaged the telecom exchange in the capital Khartoum early on Monday, impacting networks in the country.

Khartoum residents, however, say phone connectivity is still intact.

A civilian network organised mainly through Twitter has been giving updates about the fighting, especially tips on available aid and safe escape routes.

The fighting in the country has led a number of nations to evacuate their diplomats from the country.

Image source, Abiy Ahmed/Twitter

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday said his government had opened talks with Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a rebel group active in the Oromia region, the country's largest and most populous region.

"A negotiation with Oneg Shene will start a day after tomorrow in Tanzania," Mr Abiy said, using another name for the OLA.

He said the "Ethiopian government and people are in deep need of this negotiation process," adding, "I call upon all groups to play (their) part."

Mr Abiy said this in a speech to celebrate the peace deal his government signed with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in November, to end the war in Tigray.

He gave no further details on the format and mediators of the talks. He, however, called on all parties to "remember that we benefit nothing from war".

In a statement on Monday, the OLA confirmed the talks saying it was "a crucial and positive step towards establishing a lasting peace in the region".

It said the government had accepted its terms for peace negotiations, including the inclusion of "a third-party mediator".

The OLA and the federal government blame each other for a number of attacks in the Oromia region.

The rebel group, which claims to be fighting for the rights of ethnic Oromo people, was designated a terrorist organisation by the federal government in May 2021.

The conflict between the OLA and the federal government is separate from the fighting in Tigray, but the OLA forged an alliance with the TPLF in 2021.

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The authorities in northern Burkina Faso say about 60 civilians have been killed in the village of Karma, near the border with Mali.

A local prosecutor said he had been notified of the attack on Friday, adding that it had been carried out by people dressed in army uniforms. He's appealed for information.

Survivors told the AFP news agency that more than 100 people on motorbikes and pick-up trucks had raided the village.

An attack on Burkinabe army and volunteer forces took place in the same region, near Ouahigouya, earlier last week, leaving around 40 dead and more than 30 injured.

Thousands have been killed since Islamist militants started operating in the area in 2015.

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Image source, EPA

Increasing numbers of foreign diplomats have been evacuated from Khartoum, as the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group fight to control the capital.

France, Germany, Canada, Spain and Italy are among the latest countries to announce that they've taken their diplomatic staff to safety.

But foreign civilians have been reporting difficulties in trying to get out of Sudan.

One British national told the BBC of a chaotic coach journey towards Egypt - a trip organised by his Sudanese employer and not his own government.

The city's international airport has been rendered inoperable by the conflict.

There have been desperate calls for help from students, many of whom come from other African countries, Asia and the Middle East.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded, according to the UN, amid fears of a worsening humanitarian disaster.

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To live in Sudan is to have experienced violence, protest, dictatorship, political instability and upheaval. But the scale of fighting during the last week has shocked many. Caught in the middle have been the people, as residential areas have been pummelled by missiles. Amid the crossfire, they have faced no power and no food and have had to decide whether to remain hiding in their homes or risk going outside. Three women from Khartoum - Dallia, Sara and Enass - share their personal situations and concerns with host James Reynolds.

Medics working in some British hospitals face “slave-type” conditions, says a doctors’ group.

Kenya's Agnes Tirop, a two-time World Athletics Championships medallist, has been found stabbed to death at her home.

Jean-Bédel Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic in a lavish ceremony on the 4th of December 1977. He'd already been President for several years since taking power in a military coup - but he wanted more. Janet Ball has spoken to one of his sons, Jean-Charles Bokassa, and to a French journalist, about the events of that day. Photo: Jean-Bédel Bokassa, stands in front of his throne after crowning himself. 04 December 1977 in Bangui. (Credit: Pierre Guillaud/AFP/Getty Images)