GENEVA – The U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session on Friday to address the situation in al-Fashir, Sudan, where paramilitary forces reportedly took control of the city, prompting calls for a fact-finding mission.

The proposed mission, outlined in a draft resolution, would investigate alleged violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies, and seek to identify those responsible.

In his opening remarks, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged the international community to act, emphasizing the urgent need to respond to atrocities and protect civilians. Turk also warned of escalating violence in the central Sudanese region of Kordofan, citing bombardments, blockades, and forced displacement.

The RSF denied targeting civilians or blocking aid, attributing such incidents to rogue actors. Turk also called for measures against individuals and companies profiting from the conflict.

The capture of al-Fashir by the RSF on October 26 solidified their control over the Darfur region in the ongoing civil war with the Sudanese army. The draft resolution condemns ethnically motivated killings and the use of rape as a weapon of war but does not investigate potential external support for the RSF.

Sudan’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Hassan Hamid Hassan, accused foreign countries, including the United Arab Emirates, of supplying the RSF with weapons, describing the situation as an existential threat to his country. The UAE has denied these claims.

Several nations, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, and Ghana, expressed support for the resolution, stressing the need to prevent impunity and maintain regional stability.

The resolution also urges both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians trapped in famine-stricken al-Fashir. Reports from women fleeing the city describe killings, systematic rape, street shootings, and drone attacks on civilians.