Sudan 'cannot afford a struggle for power between two people': UN chief

The UN rights chief warned Wednesday that fighting in Sudan has had disastrous effects on human rights where recent clashes left at least 550 people dead and more than 4,900 injured.

It also forced more than 100,000 residents to flee to neighboring countries.

Volker Turk told the Security Council that the latest country to move toward full-blown conflict was Sudan.

"The human rights impact of the current fighting has been catastrophic. It is heartbreaking," he said. "Civilians continue to be placed at acute risk and are prevented from accessing critical supplies and assistance."

The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has been engulfed by violence for weeks in fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

Turk accused warring parties of trampling proportionality and precaution and he strongly condemned human rights violations.

"Trust has been obliterated. Sudan's future depends on building trust between the Sudanese people and the institutions that are supposed to serve them," he said.

"Human rights, an end to impunity, and participation by the population -- particularly women and young people -- must be the driving forces out of the current crisis so that Sudan can stabilize at last," he added.