Port Sudan residents hope for quick end to generals' battle

Fighting raged in Khartoum -- a city of five million people -- as thick black smoke rose from buildings after a new ceasefire failed to materialize on Wednesday (Apr. 20).

Some residents have started leaving the city by car or on foot.

Further east, in Port Sudan, residents hope for a resolution to the conflict.

"The current situation in the city of Port Sudan is safe and the Sudanese army has taken over all the Rapid Support Forces (locations). Security is back in all of the Red Sea state and the Sudanese people are safe," Sanit Mussa H. assured.

"We ask God that Khartoum will be safe and back to stability in the near future," vendor Salah I. said. 

"We hope that the army and the Rapid Support Forces can reach an agreement so that Sudan can become stable and so good can prevail in all the country, God willing." If the focus has been on heavy fighting in the capital between the army and the paramilitaries RFS, battles have been reported across Sudan.

Nearly 300 people have been killed and over 3,000 wounded since fighting began, the U.N. health agency said.