Special session on Sudan begins at Human Rights Council

In Geneva, a special session of the UN Human Rights Council opens to discuss the situation in Sudan on Thursday. UN rights chief called on the international community to exert all possible pressure on the fighting sides in Sudan to resolve the conflict and end "the wanton violence".

He also slammed "this wanton violence, in which both sides have trampled international humanitarian law, notably the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution". More than 750 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the fighting that began on April 15 between the military, and a rival paramilitary group.

Thursday's urgent council session requested by Britain, Germany, Norway and the United States, with the support of dozens of other countries, was expected to wrap up later with a vote on a draft text calling for an immediate halt to the violence.