Sudan's military ruled out negotiations with a rival paramilitary force on Thursday, saying it would only accept its surrender as the two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck international attempts to broker a longer cease-fire.
A tenuous 24-hour cease-fire that began the previous day ran out Thursday evening with no word of extension. The military's statement raised the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly week-long violence that has killed hundreds and pushed Sudan's population to the breaking point. Alarm has grown that the country's medical system was on the verge of collapse, with many hospitals forced to shut down and others running out of supplies.
