Highlights

Blinken speaks to Sudan generals, calls for ceasefire

At least 185 killed, 1,800 wounded - UN

UN chief says humanitarian situation 'catastrophic'

Army chief orders 'rebel' militia to disband

Army has used air strikes to hit rivals' camps

Violence began amid push to restore civilian rule

Brussels: The European Union ambassador to Sudan was attacked in his home in Khartoum on Monday, the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell said, as fighting between rival generals gripped the nation.

"A few hours ago, the EU Ambassador in Sudan was assaulted in his own residency," Borrell wrote on Twitter, without detailing any injuries to the envoy.

"Security of diplomatic premises and staff is a primary responsibility of Sudanese authorities and an obligation under international law," he added.

"The security of the staff is our priority," she said. "The EU delegation has not been evacuated. Security measures are being assessed."

Fighting between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary faction has killed around 200 people and wounded 1,800 after three days of urban warfare.

The fighting is between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup - army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Blinken expressed grave concern

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with two generals leading warring forces in Sudan and "underscored the urgency of reaching a ceasefire", a State Department spokesman said.

Blinken, in Japan for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers, held separate calls with the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, spokesman Vedant Patel said.

"The Secretary expressed his grave concern about the death and injury of so many Sudanese civilians due to the sustained, indiscriminate fighting," Patel said in a statement.

When he spoke to the two men, Blinken "stressed the responsibility of the two generals to ensure the safety and wellbeing of civilians, diplomatic personnel, and humanitarian workers", Patel said.

A ceasefire would "permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the fighting, the reunification of Sudanese families, and allow the international community in Khartoum to make sure its presence is secure", he added.

UN calls for 'immediate' ceasefire

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres again called on Sudan's warring parties to "immediately cease hostilities".

Analysts say the fighting in the capital of the chronically unstable country is unprecedented and could be prolonged, despite regional and global calls for a ceasefire.

Battles have taken place throughout the vast country, and there are fears of regional spillover. The conflict has seen air strikes, artillery and heavy gunfire.