New Delhi: India on Thursday, May 11, abstained on a West-backed resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council after a narrow victory, that called for documentation and reporting of human rights violations in the latest bout of violence in Sudan.The conflict in Sudan was triggered on April 15 by a struggle for supremacy between the chief of Sudan’s military General Abdel Fattah Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.Since then, the violence has resulted in the deaths of 600 people and the displacement of thousands. Several countries, including India, had to conduct emergency evacuation of their citizens from the war-torn country.The UNHRC’s day-long special session was requested by Ireland and the United Kingdom. The draft resolution, sponsored by the UK, US and European nations, was adopted by 18 in favour, 15 against and 14 abstentions.Incidentally, the United Arab Emirates, part of the quartet of nations working for democratic transition in Sudan, voted against the resolution. Two of the quartet members, US and UK, sponsored and voted in favour, while the fourth, Saudi Arabia, is not a member of the 47-member UNHRC.Sudan voted against the resolution, along with China, Pakistan and 15 other countries. The abstention bench included India and South Africa.Speaking at the Council, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Indra Mani Pandey said that New Delhi has been “consistently underscoring the importance of mutual trust, engagement, dialogue, and reconciliation to resolve the conflict in Sudan”.“We have urged all sides to exercise restraint and work together to build trust and confidence, which would pave the way for dialogue and transition towards civilian-led government. Peace and stability in Sudan is of paramount importance for India and the entire African continent and the world,” he said.Most of the African and Arab members voted against or abstained on the resolution, claiming that it would not aid reconciliation talks between the warring parties.Speaking on behalf of the African group, Côte d’Ivoire’s representative said that the views of the country regarding the special session did not receive attention. “The consent of the country concerned to any mechanism established by the Human Rights Council or the expansion of the mandate of existing mechanisms is crucial,” he stated.While it did not cast a vote, Saudi Arabia spoke at the special session about the ongoing peace talks between the two parties in Jeddah. The Saudi diplomat said that in the current context, while all regional initiatives were welcome, it would not be wise to make “any moves or steps that complicate the scene”.In his opening remarks, the UN human rights commissioner Volker Türk blamed both military factions for atrocities. He accused the Sudanese military of launching attacks in densely occupied civilian areas, including airstrikes. “The RSF, meanwhile, has allegedly taken over numerous buildings in Khartoum to use as operational bases, evicting residents and launching attacks from densely inhabited urban areas. These tactics place civilians at acute risk and prevent people from accessing critical supplies and assistance,” he said.