The U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session on Friday

The U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session on Friday on the situation in al-Fashir, Sudan, in which states will consider a request for a fact-finding mission on mass killings during the fall of the Darfur city to paramilitary forces.



The fact-finding mission, included in a draft resolution, would also seek to identify the perpetrators of violations allegedly committed by the Rapid Support Forces and their allies in al-Fashir.



In an opening address to delegates, the U.N. human rights chief urged the international community to act.



Turk called for action against individuals and companies "fuelling and profiting" from the war in Sudan, and gave a stark warning about surging violence in the Sudanese region of Kordofan, with bombardments, blockades and people forced from their homes.



The fall of al-Fashir to the RSF on October 26 cemented its control of the Darfur region in the more than 2-1/2-year civil war that it has been fighting with the Sudanese army.



The draft text up for consideration by the council, seen by Reuters, strongly condemns the reported ethnically-motivated killing and use of rape as a weapon of war by the RSF and allied forces in al-Fashir.