India, April 28 -- UN Security Council members on Saturday called on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately halt the military build-up and take steps to de-escalate the situation in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur.

The call comes amid reports of an imminent offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militia against the city, which could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons currently sheltering there.

At least 43 people, among them women and children, have been killed in fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF backed by their respective militia since 14 April, when the RSF began its push into El Fasher, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR). ...