MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russian presidential special envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met on Monday with Sudanese Ambassador to Russia Mohammed Sirraj to stress the need of ensuring security of the Russian embassy and Russian citizens in that country, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"The Russian side called for an immediate ceasefire and insisted that possible disputes be settled by means of negotiations. The Russian side also stressed the importance of ensuring the security of the Russian embassy in Khartoum and all Russian nationals in Sudan," it said.

According to the ministry, the two diplomats focused attention on the latest developments in Sudan amid the armed confrontation between the regular army and the rapid support forces.

The situation in Sudan has escalated over disagreements between army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the Sovereign Council, and the head of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is his deputy in the council. On April 15, clashes erupted near a military base in the city of Merowa and Khartoum. According to the latest data from the Sudan Doctors Committee, more than a hundred civilians have died as a result of the fighting, while the World Health Organization reports more than 1,000 victims.