The UN's investigators believe that a force must be established immediately in Sudan, where two million civilians have fled the country, and an additional eight million are internally displaced – and where the civilian population is severely affected.
The response from Khartum was brief – and accusatory:
"The Sudanese government rejects in its entirety the recommendations from the UN delegation".
Under al-Burhan's command
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's faction in the civil war, accused the UN delegation in Sudan of being "political and illegal".
The general is in a power struggle with his former companion Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo – who leads the paramilitary force Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The UN's investigation revealed severe human rights violations, and signs of war crimes:
"The warring parties are also attacking civilians with rape and other sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and torture", it said in the report from the UN in Geneva on Friday.
Even more dead
The scope of the civil war – and the number of civilian deaths – is difficult to assess as battles and attacks are taking place in areas such as the Darfur region where international presence is relatively small.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Port Sudan on Sunday that at least 20,000 people have been killed. He added that calculations are difficult to make, and that the death toll may be much higher.
The war situation is being exacerbated by Sudan being hit by severe flooding after unusually heavy rainfall.
The army and RSF were initially on the same side. RSF originated from the janjawid militia, which had a brutal role in the Darfur war in western Sudan in the 2000s.
The new war broke out after the leaders of the army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF's leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo fell out and began fighting on April 15 last year.
Two million civilians have fled from Sudan, and an additional eight million are internally displaced.
Sources: UN, AP, and AFP
