Sudan's devastating conflict raged into its third month on Thursday with an estimated two million people displaced, and as a governor's killing marked a new escalation in the western region of Darfur.
Since April 15, the regular army headed by Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have been locked in combat that has destroyed entire neighbourhoods of the capital Khartoum.
According to international media reports, the fighting quickly spread to the provinces, particularly Darfur, and has killed at least 1,800 people.
A UN official has also warned that the escalating attacks in Darfur city could amount to “crimes against humanity.”
Burhan accused the RSF of killing the governor of West Darfur state, Khamis Abdullah Abakar, in a "treacherous attack" on Wednesday.
Abakar was captured and later killed after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a TV channel.
The Darfur Lawyers Association condemned his "assassination" as an act of "barbarism, brutality and cruelty".
Nationwide, Sudan's fighting has driven around 2.2 million people from their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Of these, more than 528,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, said the UN agency.
US and Saudi mediation efforts are at a standstill after the collapse of multiple ceasefires in the face of flagrant violations by both sides.
A record 25 million people - more than half the population - are in need of aid, according to the UN, which says it has received only a fraction of needed funding.
Saudi Arabia has announced an international pledging conference for next week.
