KHARTOUM — Border clashes intensified on Tuesday after ceasefire negotiations between rival armed forces collapsed, with both sides accusing the other of violating earlier commitments, officials and residents said.
Military officials from the two neighboring states said fighting erupted overnight along several disputed sections of the frontier, including areas near key supply routes and rural settlements. Local authorities reported artillery fire and small-arms exchanges that continued into Tuesday morning, forcing residents to flee nearby villages.
The escalation followed several days of talks mediated by regional officials in the capital of a third country. Diplomats involved in the negotiations said discussions broke down late Monday after the delegations failed to agree on troop withdrawals and monitoring mechanisms.
“The negotiations did not produce a framework acceptable to both parties,” regional mediator Daniel Mbeki told reporters on Tuesday. “We continue to urge restraint and an immediate return to dialogue.”
Defense officials from one side said their forces had responded to what they described as “cross-border provocations,” while the opposing military accused rival troops of advancing into contested territory. Neither claim could be independently verified.
Residents in border communities said heavy gunfire was heard before dawn. “People started leaving as soon as the shelling began,” said Ahmed Suleiman, a local shopkeeper reached by telephone. “Most families are trying to move farther from the border.”
Humanitarian organizations operating in the region said the renewed fighting disrupted aid deliveries and raised concerns about civilian displacement. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross said teams were assessing conditions in affected areas but that access remained limited because of security risks.
The two forces have disputed control of the border region for years, with periodic clashes occurring despite multiple ceasefire agreements. Tensions increased in recent months after both sides deployed additional troops near contested crossings and accused each other of supporting armed groups operating across the frontier.
The United Nations and the African Union called for an immediate halt to hostilities. In a statement issued Tuesday, the U.N. Secretary-General’s office urged both parties “to protect civilians and resume negotiations without preconditions.”
Government officials on both sides did not provide updated casualty figures. Local medical workers said some wounded civilians had been transported to hospitals in nearby towns, though details remained unclear.
By Tuesday evening, sporadic fighting was still being reported in several border districts, according to local authorities and residents, while regional mediators said efforts to revive the ceasefire talks were continuing.
