Britain and the U.S. have called for an immediate end to the fighting in Sudan and a return to talks on civilian rule.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, both currently at G7 talks in Japan said they had been closely consulting on the issue.

“We call upon an immediate cessation of violence, a return to the talks, talks which seem to be heading in the direction of civilian government, and of course, that is the ultimate desired outcome,” Cleverly said.

The two rival generals, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, were urged to ensure the safety of civilians, bystanders, foreigners and diplomats.

“We’ve also been in close touch with partners in the Arab world, in Africa, in international organisations,” Blinken said.

“There is a shared deep concern about the fighting, the violence that’s going on in Sudan; the threat that poses to civilians, that it poses to the Sudanese nation, and potentially poses even to the region.” (dpa/NAN)