THE United Nation’s top human rights body adopted a resolution on Thursday that drew attention to mounting civilian deaths and rights abuses in Sudan since a bloody conflict erupted between the African country’s two top generals last month.

The violence in Sudan has so far killed more than 700 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands across the country. 

The Human Rights Council, made up of 47 UN member states, narrowly passed the resolution with 18 states voting for the resolution, 15 against and 14 abstaining. 

The resolution aims to further scrutinise human rights violations taking place in Sudan since the fighting began on April 15.

The fighting started as a result of a power struggle between the chief of Sudan’s military, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and rival General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Arab and African nations, including Sudan, featured heavily among the 15 countries that rejected the UN move, citing it as a potential barrier to talks underway in Saudi Arabia.

Algeria’s representative, Faouzia Boumaiza-Mebarki, said the resolution could send a “negative message to the opposing sides” and scupper the talks. 

China’s ambassador, Zhang Jun, said Sudan should be “free from external pressure.”

Most Western countries voted in favour, with Europe and the United States having co-sponsored the draft resolution.

The US State Department announced on Thursday that the two forces had signed a declaration recognising their responsibilities “to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the emergency needs of civilians.”

The statement said the talks would now focus on arranging “an effective ceasefire of up to approximately ten days to facilitate” humanitarian efforts. 

The rivals agreed “to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, the restoration of essential services, the withdrawal of forces from hospitals and clinics, and the respectful burial of the dead,” the announcement said.