Pope Leo XIV reiterated on Sunday his call for a ceasefire and the "urgent opening of humanitarian corridors" in Sudan, which is gripped by a bloody civil war, denouncing the "unacceptable suffering" endured by a population "already exhausted by long months of conflict".

"It is with deep sadness that I follow the tragic news reaching us from Sudan, in particular from the city of El-Fasher, in the martyred North Darfur," the Pope said Sunday during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.

"The indiscriminate violence perpetrated against women and children, the attacks against defenseless civilians and the serious obstacles to humanitarian action are inflicting unacceptable suffering on a population already exhausted by long months of conflict," the American pope added from the balcony of the Apostolic Palace.

"I renew my solemn appeal to the parties involved for a ceasefire and the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors," added Leo XIV.

Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and caused the worst current humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.

The war was triggered by a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, army commander and de facto leader of Sudan since the 2021 coup, and General Mohamed Daglo, head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, now in control of the whole of Darfur, a region in western Sudan.

On October 26, the RSF captured El-Fasher after an 18-month siege, the last major city in Darfur still outside their control. Since then, thousands of civilians have fled the city, where reports of deadly violence against civilians are multiplying.

Leo XIV also invited the faithful on Sunday to pray "for Tanzania, where clashes have broken out following the recent elections, resulting in numerous casualties."

Outgoing President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of Tanzania's presidential election on Saturday with nearly 98% of the vote, after three days of election violence that left hundreds dead according to the opposition, which called the election a "parody of democracy".

"I urge everyone to renounce all forms of violence and to prioritize dialogue," the Pope added.